Nutritional Neuroscience: Gut and Brain

This course focuses on acquisition of knowledge and skills for research in the inter-disciplinary study of food, gut and brain interactions, and their relation to human food intake and health. A unique feature is the emphasis on the use of (neuro)imaging techniques as a unifying research approach to study food-gut-brain interactions as they relate to eating behaviour. The course consists of plenary lectures and practical work that cover both basic as well as state of the art topics. This includes, introduction to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and functional MRI; introduction to Electroencephalography (EEG); gut-brain signalling and nutrient sensing. Students will be introduced to the effect of macro- and micronutrients on human brain function and behaviour; modulation of human cognitive brain function and behaviour by nutrients and supplements. In addition, students will be introduced to the neural and physiological basis of sensory perception, food reward, satiation and satiety, and food-related decision making. The computer practicals use LabBuddy to let students learn actively about (neuro)imaging data analysis and interpretation using open-source software packages which are widely used in nutritional (neuro)imaging research such as SPM (Statistical Parametric Mapping), EEGLAB and Weasis. During supervised group work students make and present a grant proposal for an innovative nutritional imaging study.

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:

• Describe the location and function of brain areas relevant to olfactory and gustatory senses, satiation, food choice and eating behaviour
• Identify and describe central nervous system and peripheral endocrine and physiological mechanisms in the regulation of appetite
• Describe the relationships between nutrition and (cognitive) brain function
• Describe the role of the gut microbiome in gut-brain signaling and understand how this interaction may play a role in the regulation of brain functions and (eating) behavior
• Understand the data processing and analysis steps for fMRI and EEG data and perform basic analysis
• Describe methods of measuring brain activity (fMRI, EEG) and the behaviour of food in the digestive system (MRI, scintigraphy, ultrasound) and apply them in research
• Critically analyse and interpret nutritional imaging literature

Assumed Knowledge:
No specific courses required. Basics of human physiology, basics of Nutrition Behaviour