Table 2.

Brain areas that showed higher activation to food cues compared to neutral cues in (a) obese individuals and (b) normal-weight participants and (c) brain regions that show a significant interaction between BDNF levels and group status (obese vs. non-obese). Obese individuals had higher cue-reactivity in parts of the inferior frontal gyrus (d), while (e) the control group showed no significant higher activation in any brain area (contrast: “food—neutral”, n = 39, combined voxel-wise—[p < 0.001] and cluster-extent-threshold [k > 41 voxel], corresponding to p_FWE < 0.05)

Side	Lobe	Brain regions	Cluster size	MNI Coordinates (x, y, z)			tmax
Within group
(a) Obese individuals (n = 19)—contrast: Food > Neutral
L and R	Occipital, Temporal	Superior, Middle and Inferior Occipital Gyrus, Superior, Middle and Inferior Temporal Gyrus, Cuneus, Fusiform Gyrus, Cerebellum, Lingual Gyrus	7221	10	− 90	0	11.28
R	Frontal	Superior, Middle and Inferior Frontal Gyrus	345	50	48	10	5.97
L	Frontal	Middle and Inferior Frontal Gyrus	228	− 42	42	12	4.79
R	Frontal	Orbitofrontal Cortex, Middle Frontal Gyrus	116	42	56	− 8	6.47
R	Occipital	Superior and Middle Occipital Gyrus, Angular Gyrus	113	30	− 62	36	5.49
R	Temporal	Inferior Temporal Gyrus, Fusiform Gyrus	108	54	− 60	− 16	5.28
L		Precentral Gyrus	103	− 42	− 2	28	4.57
R		Cerebellum	74	38	− 78	− 40	5.56
L		Insula	54	− 36	26	0	4.24
L and R		Middle and Posterior cingulate cortex	53	− 2	− 32	26	4.71
L		Insula	53	− 38	2	− 8	4.50
(b) Non-obese individuals (n = 20)—ontrast: Food > Neutral
L and R	Occipital	Superior, Middle and Inferior Occipital Gyrus, Cuneus, Fusiform Gyrus, Cerebellum, Lingual Gyrus	3824	− 16	− 102	6	8.28
R		Cerebellum	137	42	− 58	− 38	5.63
L	Frontal	Orbitofrontal Cortex, Insula, Middle Frontal Gyrus	133	− 26	36	− 14	4.97
R	Frontal	Orbitofrontal Cortex, Rectus, Insula	123	22	26	− 18	6.06
L	Frontal	Superior Medial Frontal Gyrus	55	− 8	60	4	5.40
Group differences
(c) Interaction BDNF levels × group (n = 39)
L		Insula (64% of cluster), Rolandic Operculum	168	− 42	− 4	8	6.02
R		Insula (21% of cluster), Rolandic Operculum	121	42	− 18	24	4.69
L	Frontal	Inferior Frontal Gyrus	110	− 34	24	16	4.58
R	Frontal	Inferior Frontal Gyrus, Postcentral Gyrus	89	40	0	24	4.86
R	Frontal	Superior and Middle Frontal Gyrus	47	− 18	24	42	4.42
(d) Obese > Control group
L	Frontal	Inferior Frontal Operculum, Inferior Frontal Triangular Gyrus	58	− 48	20	12	3.99
(e) Control group > Obese
–	––	–	–	–	–	–	–