Project description
A novel approach to understanding food-seeking behaviour
The selection of food is guided by sensory feedback, including post-ingestive information about energy content, and it has been studied across several species, paradigms and nutrients. The EU-funded CalorieRL project aims to use computational reinforcement learning (RL) models applied to instrumental conditioning, in addition to brain functional and molecular imaging and peripheral nerve stimulation, to study post-ingestive reinforcement of food-seeking behaviour. The study hypothesises that behaviour has a dopaminergic substrate and is associated with neural activity in brain reward circuits, resulting from sensory information transmitted through the vagus nerve. Furthermore, the project will address whether the RL and neural correlates of post-ingestive reinforcement are relevant in the context of obesity.
Objective
The drive to eat is one of the strongest in the modulation of behaviour. Selection of food is guided by sensory feedback, including post-ingestive information about energy content, that has been studied across several species, paradigms and nutrients. In rodents, post-oral administration of sugar is associated with striatal dopamine release and conditions robust preferences, in part as a result of viscerosensory information transmitted through the vagus nerve. Consistently, in humans there is evidence that pairing a flavour with a tasteless carbohydrate will enhance pleasantness of the pre-ingestive stimulus and increase its consumption.
However, available data in humans have provided limited mechanistic underpinnings for this process and, in our own experiments, performed with greater control of pre-ingestive stimulation, while we reproduced increased consumption of conditioned flavours, we found no evidence for post-ingestive mediated changes of pleasantness. Critically, this suggests that the impact of nutrient conditioning on behaviour and choice reflects the modulation of the value of actions, rather than that of associated stimuli. The application of computational reinforcement learning theory to human probabilistic decision-making tasks, which has allowed for renewed sophistication and progress to understand the mechanisms of appetitive learning, is yet to be applied to address this question.
In CalorieRL, we will use computational reinforcement models applied to instrumental conditioning, in addition to brain functional and molecular imaging and peripheral nerve stimulation, to study post-ingestive reinforcement of food-seeking behaviour. We hypothesize such behaviour has a dopaminergic substrate and is associated with neural activity in brain reward circuits, resulting from sensory information transmitted through the vagus nerve. Importantly, we will also address if post-ingestive reinforcement is relevant in the context of obesity.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences artificial intelligence machine learning reinforcement learning
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules carbohydrates
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition obesity
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-STG - Starting Grant
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2020-STG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1400-038 LISBOA
Portugal
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.