# Neurobehavioral correlates of individual differences in obesity susceptibility

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2020 · $49,682

## Abstract

Project Summary
Obesity is a major public health concern for which effective treatments are needed. The development of
personalized and effective obesity treatment would benefit from an investigation into the individual differences
underlying obesity susceptibility. In humans, predictors have focused on trait-based cognitive factors, but basic
research in animals can evaluate the neural, hormonal, behavioral and energetic mechanisms that can’t be
evaluated in humans. Variation in sensitivity to the food intake inhibitory effects of gastrointestinal (GI) satiation
signals is one such factor contributing to these individual differences. Our novel preliminary data show that
reduced behavioral sensitivity to the intake inhibitory effects of cholecystokinin (CCK), one of these GI signals,
predicts greater high fat diet (HFD)-induced body weight (BW) gain. Additionally, rats with reduced behavioral
sensitivity to the food intake inhibitory effects of CCK express reduced Fos immunoreactivity in the hindbrain
nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), that processes GI derived vagally communicated signals. Another predictor of
obesity is short-term natural variation in BW. Novel preliminary work shows that greater day-to-day variation in
BW predicts total HFD-induced BW gain. Based on exciting preliminary findings, the overall goal of this proposal
is to investigate the physiological mechanisms underlying these two predictors of obesity. These proposed aims
will test the hypothesis that individual differences in neural, behavioral and energetic energy balance regulatory
mechanisms differentially predispose obesity. Specifically, we will investigate the contribution of vagally-
mediated afferent satiation signaling to individual differences in behavioral sensitivity to the intake suppressive
effects of CCK and subsequent HFD-induced BW gain (Aim 1), characterize the role of NTS neuronal activation
in individual differences in CCK sensitivity and BW gain (Aim 2) and define the behavioral and energetic
mechanisms underlying short-term BW variability that leads to increased BW gain (Aim 3). Together, the
proposed aims will highlight the physiological mechanisms underlying these predictors of the susceptibility and
individual differences in HFD-induced obesity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9989834
- **Project number:** 5F31DK120162-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** HALLIE S WALD
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $49,682
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-04 → 2021-09-03

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9989834

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9989834, Neurobehavioral correlates of individual differences in obesity susceptibility (5F31DK120162-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9989834. Licensed CC0.

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