Skip to content

Study · Randomized controlled trial · 2023

2 results

Liraglutide restores impaired associative learning in individuals with obesity.

Hanssen R, Rigoux L, Kuzmanovic B, Iglesias S, Kretschmer AC, Schlamann M, Albus K, Edwin Thanarajah S, Sitnikow T, Melzer C, Cornely OA, Brüning JC, Tittgemeyer M

Nature metabolism17 Aug 2023Cited by 41 (Europe PMC)

PMID37592007 (opens in a new tab)PMCIDPMC10447249 (opens in a new tab)DOI10.1038/s42255-023-00859-y (opens in a new tab)PepBankPUB-37592007
Download PDFPubMedAsk about this study
Jump to 2 results

Summary

Survival under selective pressure is driven by the ability of our brain to use sensory information to our advantage to control physiological needs. To that end, neural circuits receive and integrate external environmental cues and internal metabolic signals to form learned sensory associations, consequently motivating and adapting our behaviour. The dopaminergic midbrain plays a crucial role in learning adaptive behaviour and is particularly sensitive to peripheral metabolic signals, including intestinal peptides, such as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). In a single-blinded, randomized, controlled, crossover basic human functional magnetic resonance imaging study relying on a computational model of the adaptive learning process underlying behavioural responses, we show that adaptive learning is reduced when metabolic sensing is impaired in obesity, as indexed by reduced insulin sensitivity (participants: N = 30 with normal insulin sensitivity; N = 24 with impaired insulin sensitivity). Treatment with the GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide normalizes impaired learning of sensory associations in men and women with obesity. Collectively, our findings reveal that GLP-1 receptor activation modulates associative learning in people with obesity via its central effects within the mesoaccumbens pathway. These findings provide evidence for how metabolic signals can act as neuromodulators to adapt our behaviour to our body's internal state and how GLP-1 receptor agonists work in clinics.
CC BYText from Europe PMC. Highlighted sentences are the source of results.

Results from this study2

2 results from studies that gave the peptide. 2 results from people.

  1. 01HumanRandomized controlled trialEfficacy outcome

    In men and women with obesity and impaired insulin sensitivity, liraglutide normalized impaired learning of sensory associations in a crossover fMRI study.

    In plain wordsIn people with obesity, liraglutide treatment restored learning of sensory associations that had been impaired.

    Peptide
    Liraglutide
    Outcome
    IncreaseImpaired associative learning
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Cognition and memory · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Treatment with the GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide normalizes impaired learning of sensory associations in men and women with obesity.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    In a single-blinded, randomized, controlled, crossover basic human functional magnetic resonance imaging study relying on a computational model of the adaptive learning process underlying behavioural responses
    Summary · context
    (participants: N = 30 with normal insulin sensitivity; N = 24 with impaired insulin sensitivity).
  2. 02HumanRandomized controlled trialMechanism

    In people with obesity, GLP-1 receptor activation by liraglutide modulated associative learning through central effects in the mesoaccumbens pathway.

    In plain wordsIn people with obesity, liraglutide appeared to affect learning through GLP-1 receptor action in a brain reward pathway.

    Peptide
    Liraglutide
    Outcome
    Not applicableMesoaccumbens pathway involvement in associative learning
    Study

    n: not reported in source

    Outcome group
    Receptor activity and mechanism · Nervous system and cognition
    Studied dose
    Dose not stated

    Source sentences

    Summary
    Collectively, our findings reveal that GLP-1 receptor activation modulates associative learning in people with obesity via its central effects within the mesoaccumbens pathway.
    2 context sentences
    Summary · context
    Treatment with the GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide normalizes impaired learning of sensory associations in men and women with obesity.
    Summary · context
    In a single-blinded, randomized, controlled, crossover basic human functional magnetic resonance imaging study relying on a computational model of the adaptive learning process underlying behavioural responses

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

  1. Version 2Current

    12 Oct 2026, 11:11 UTC

    Study results updated

  2. Version 1

    9 Oct 2026, 03:05 UTC

    First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

PepBank is a research reference. Talk to a doctor before you use any peptide.