GLP-1 influences food and drug reward

•GLP-1 receptor activation will influence multiple reward-related behaviors.•Obesity and maladaptive reward behaviors can be treated by targeting reward nuclei.•Current GLP-1 analogs can be used to treat obesity and drug/alcohol addiction.•Current GLP-1 analogs are limited in effect size due to side effects.

Natural rewards, including food, water, sleep and social interactions, are required to sustain life. The neural substrates that regulate the reinforcing effects of these behaviors are also the same neurobiological mechanisms mediating mood, motivation and the rewarding effects of pharmacological stimuli. That the neuropeptide glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is under investigation for both the homeostatic and hedonic controls of feeding is not surprising or novel. However, if the neural substrates that underline food reward are shared with other reward-related behaviors generally, then future research should investigate and embrace the likelihood that endogenous and exogenous GLP-1 receptor activation may influence multiple reward-related behaviors. Indeed, studies of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying motivated feeding behavior have informed much of the basic research investigating neural substrates of drug addiction. Here, we review the emerging literature demonstrating a role for the GLP-1 system in modulating maladaptive reward behaviors, including food, drug and alcohol consumption.