Expecting Food or Chocolate Reveals Different Timing Systems for Metabolism and Reward

Daily access to chocolate led to a higher amplitude of PER1 rhythmicity in corticolimbic structures compared to restricted feeding schedules (RFS).

• Both RFS and chocolate access induced a phase shift in PER1 rhythmicity, with peak values occurring at zeitgeber time 12.
• PER1 expression was upregulated in the suprachiasmatic nucleus for both feeding conditions.
• Food and chocolate access resulted in persistent rhythmic patterns in behavior and PER1 expression for 8 days in specific brain regions.
• The findings suggest that different oscillatory systems in the brain can be activated by metabolic stimuli or reward.
• PER1 may play a role in the entraining pathways influenced by food and reward, with implications for food addictive behavior.

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