Understanding a brain circuit that helps you feel full
Validation of a novel cerebellar-striatal satiety circuit in human
Researchers will use noninvasive brain stimulation and brain scans to find out whether a cerebellum-to-striatum circuit affects feelings of fullness in adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11287858 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would come to Brigham and Women's for short visits where researchers apply noninvasive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to the cerebellum while taking brain scans to watch reward-related activity in the ventral striatum. They will also collect ratings of hunger/fullness and measure short-term food intake to link brain changes with eating behavior. This approach builds on animal findings and prior human observational work but uses acute, mechanistic neuromodulation to test whether the circuit causally influences satiety. All procedures follow standard safety protocols for TMS and MRI and are conducted in adults.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults aged 21 and older, particularly those with overweight or obesity or concerns about appetite, would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People under 21 or those who cannot undergo MRI or TMS (for example due to metal implants, pacemakers, pregnancy, or a history of seizures) may not be eligible or obtain benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to new brain-targeted treatments to help control appetite and reduce obesity risk.
How similar studies have performed: Animal studies showed cerebellar effects on eating and early human work shows TMS can change cerebellar network activity, but causal evidence for this satiety circuit in humans is still new.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Holsen, Laura Mcgrath — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Holsen, Laura Mcgrath
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.