Research
Hormonal
Activation of neuropeptide Y/agouti-related peptide (NPY/AgRP) neurons increases food intake primarily by releasing GABA to inhibit anorexigenic centers.
Your brain has 'hunger neurons' (NPY/AgRP) that actively suppress 'fullness' signals by releasing GABA. This biological drive is a primary regulator of food intake.
StrongSupportsVERY_HIGH confidence
Acute activation of NPY/AgRP neurons using optogenetic or pharmacogenetic stimulation methods also resulted in robust increase in food intake... Currently, GABA release is believed to mediate most of the orexigenic effects of the NPY/AgRP neurons.
Why this rating
Supported by optogenetics, chemogenetics, and gene deletion studies.
Source
Network of hypothalamic neurons that control appetite
Jong‐Woo Sohn · BMB Reports · 2015
DOI 10.5483/bmbrep.2015.48.4.272
narrative_reviewCited 317×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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