The “hunger hormone” influences female monetary decision-making

A new study finds that higher levels of the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, predicts greater preference for smaller immediate financial rewards over larger delayed financial rewards.
The results of the study were presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society (ENDO 2021). This research provides new evidence that the stomach-derived hormone ghrelin, or the so-called “hunger hormone,” influences critical decision-making, according to the researcher participating in the study, Francesca Pleso, assistant professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. In Boston.

Pleso said recent research results in rodents indicate that ghrelin may play a role in impulsive choices and behaviors.

“Our findings indicate that ghrelin may play a wider role than previously recognized in behavior related to human reward and decision-making, such as monetary choices. We hope this will inspire future research on its role in human cognition and behavior independent of food.”

Ghrelin signals to the brain the need to eat and may alter brain pathways that control reward processing. Ghrelin levels fluctuate throughout the day, depending on individual food intake and metabolism.

This study included 84 participants between the ages of 10 and 22: 50 of them had an eating disorder associated with low weight, such as anorexia nervosa, and 34 healthy participants. The Pleso research team tested blood levels of total ghrelin before and after a standardized meal for all participants who had fasted beforehand.

After the meal, the participants ran a hypothetical financial decisions test, called a delay discounting task. They were asked to make a series of options to indicate their preference for a smaller immediate cash reward or a greater late sum of money, for example, $ 20 a day or $ 80 in 14 days.

The researchers reported that healthy girls and young women with higher levels of ghrelin were more likely to choose the immediate cash reward that includes the smaller financial reward, rather than waiting for a larger amount of money. This preference indicates more impulsive options, Pleso said.

The relationship between ghrelin level and monetary choices was absent in age-matched participants with an eating disorder associated with low weight. People with this eating disorder are known to have ghrelin resistance. Pleso said their finding may be another indication of the disconnect between ghrelin signals and behavior in this population.

Source: Science Daily