Changing preferences: The neural basis of behavior change

A large number of health-related problems can be improved by behavior change. In my talk, I will focus on how we can influence food choices. I will present behavioral and imaging data from two new paradigms designed to influence choices and preferences of snack food items via reinforced and non-reinforced automatic mechanisms. The results show involvement of lateral prefrontal top-down control regions as well as interactions with value-related circuitry in the brain, which offer a possible mechanism for these changes.