Reward-Based Eating Drive Is Associated with Distinct Resting-State Connectivity Patterns: A RED-13 and fMRI Study
8 affiliations
- 1Department of Diabetes and Nutrition Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2–4 Clinicilor Street, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- 2Center for Diabetes and Nutrition Diseases, Emergency Clinical County Hospital Cluj, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- 32nd Department, Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 4 Louis Pasteur Street, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- 4International Institute for the Advanced Studies of Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy Babes-Bolyai University, 400294 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- 5Center of Excellence for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Faculty of Psychology and Sciences of Education, Babes-Bolyai University, 400031 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- 6INSPIRE Platform, Babes-Bolyai University, 400031 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- 7Department of Clinical Neurosciences, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- 8“IMOGEN” Institute, Centre of Advanced Research Studies, Emergency Clinical County Hospital Cluj, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Eating for pleasure rather than hunger is widespread in the modern food environment. The Reward-Based Eating Drive Scale (RED-13) captures three dimensions of reward-related eating: lack of satiety, loss of control over eating, and preoccupation with food. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the relationship between resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) metrics and the RED-13 subscales. Methods: RED-13 scores, subjective food appetite, and resting-state brain function were measured in 99 participants between March 2022 and May 2023. Brain function was assessed using degree centrality (DC), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC). Results: Loss of control over eating and preoccupation with food positively correlated with appetite for high fat, high sweet, and low sweet foods. Loss of control over eating positively correlated with DC in the left cerebellar lobule IX (r = 0.416), ReHo in the left brainstem (r = 0.399), and VMHC in the right and left brainstem (r = 0.432) and negatively with ReHo in the right calcarine sulcus (r = −0.434). The lack of satiety subscale positively correlated with ReHo in the left superior frontal gyrus (r = 0.389). The preoccupation with food subscale positively correlated with DC and ReHo in the right middle frontal gyrus. Conclusions: Reward-based eating measured by RED-13 is associated with distinct patterns in the resting-state fMRI metrics within reward processing and cognitive control. These neural correlates, supported by the association of RED-13 with appetite, are consistent with the hypothesis that RED-13 captures a trait-like disposition toward reward-driven eating that might be reflected in the resting-state brain activity.
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BibTeX
@article{ciobanu2026rewardbased,
title = {{Reward-Based Eating Drive Is Associated with Distinct Resting-State Connectivity Patterns: A RED-13 and fMRI Study}},
author = {Dana Mihaela Ciobanu and Anca-Elena Crăciun and Adriana Rusu and Ruben Emanuel Nechifor and Nicu Cătălin Drăghici and Andreia Mocan and Cornelia Bala},
journal = {Nutrients},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/nu18213480},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/21/3480},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Reward-Based Eating Drive Is Associated with Distinct Resting-State Connectivity Patterns: A RED-13 and fMRI Study
AU - Dana Mihaela Ciobanu
AU - Anca-Elena Crăciun
AU - Adriana Rusu
AU - Ruben Emanuel Nechifor
AU - Nicu Cătălin Drăghici
AU - Andreia Mocan
AU - Cornelia Bala
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Nutrients
DO - 10.3390/nu18213480
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/21/3480
AB - Background/Objectives: Eating for pleasure rather than hunger is widespread in the modern food environment. The Reward-Based Eating Drive Scale (RED-13) captures three dimensions of reward-related eating: lack of satiety, loss of control over eating, and preoccupation with food. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the relationship between resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) metrics and the RED-13 subscales. Methods: RED-13 scores, subjective food appetite, and resting-state brain function were measured in 99 participants between March 2022 and May 2023. Brain function was assessed using degree centrality (DC), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC). Results: Loss of control over eating and preoccupation with food positively correlated with appetite for high fat, high sweet, and low sweet foods. Loss of control over eating positively correlated with DC in the left cerebellar lobule IX (r = 0.416), ReHo in the left brainstem (r = 0.399), and VMHC in the right and left brainstem (r = 0.432) and negatively with ReHo in the right calcarine sulcus (r = −0.434). The lack of satiety subscale positively correlated with ReHo in the left superior frontal gyrus (r = 0.389). The preoccupation with food subscale positively correlated with DC and ReHo in the right middle frontal gyrus. Conclusions: Reward-based eating measured by RED-13 is associated with distinct patterns in the resting-state fMRI metrics within reward processing and cognitive control. These neural correlates, supported by the association of RED-13 with appetite, are consistent with the hypothesis that RED-13 captures a trait-like disposition toward reward-driven eating that might be reflected in the resting-state brain activity.
SN - 2072-6643
ER -