How do we choose our food? By studying the neurobiological mechanisms involved in food choices of rodents, neuroscientists at the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, have identified the important and lasting influence that peers can have on eating habits. Indeed, sensory stimuli linked to social contacts profoundly modify the neural connections of the networks involved in food choice, highlighting the social transmission of a food preference. In addition, these studies, published in the journal Science, highlight the role of social connection in the interpretation of sensory stimuli and in the ability to adapt to the environment. This mechanism, which appears to be deficient in people with autistic disorders, may partly explain their social difficulties.
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Source: Phys.org