Hormonal
Acute administration of GLP-1 receptor agonists reduces brain reactivity (BOLD response) to food-related cues in reward and salience regions, whereas long-term administration effects are inconsistent or attenuate over time.
GLP-1 medications appear to reduce the brain's intense reaction to food cues, particularly when taken acutely. However, this neural dampening may not persist or may vary significantly with long-term use. The evidence is currently limited and inconsistent, so while the mechanism suggests reduced craving, individual responses to long-term cue reactivity reduction are not guaranteed.
The limited evidence tentatively suggests that acute GLP-1 RA administration may reduce brain reactivity to food cues in appetite and reward regions. However, effects appear inconsistent and may attenuate over time.
Why this rating
The review identifies only 11 studies with small sample sizes, methodological heterogeneity, and inconsistent findings, particularly for long-term effects.
Source
Do GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Alter Brain Responses to Reward-Related Cues? A Systematic Review
Vincent Dang et al. · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2026
DOI 10.64898/2026.01.31.702984
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