Cortical response to a chocolate craving induction among restrained and unrestrained eaters

Abstract

Interest in the cortical response to food craving in restrained eaters is a relatively unexplored area. Typically when presented with images of highly appetizing food, healthy individuals will show greater left than right frontal hemispheric activity, an event indicative of heightened approach motivation. To date there are no known studies showing this same effect in restrained eaters. However, it has been shown that restrained eaters have greater right frontal cortical activity at rest compared with unrestrained eaters. The purpose of this study was to examine cortical asymmetry in restrained eaters using an electroencephalogram (EEG) while undergoing a craving induction.