Review of 37 imaging studies maps GLP-1 agonist effects on human brain

The wire

1. 01A systematic review in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews searched PubMed and Embase through January 2026 and included 37 human studies using structural MRI, task and resting-state fMRI, molecular imaging and neurophysiology.
2. 02Authors report GLP-1 receptor agonists engage distributed cortical and subcortical systems and modulate reward processing differentially by metabolic status and phenotype, relevant to interest in psychiatric and neurodegenerative uses.
3. 03The authors caution that the literature rests on small samples and heterogeneous methods, limiting cross-study comparison and calling for standardized neuroimaging protocols.

From the source

Central Nervous System Effects of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: A Systematic Review of Human Neuroimaging Studies

Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews · 2026 Sep 19 · Brucar LR, Miller KB, Volkow ND et al.