Post-disaster refeeding influences the effects of fasting duration on food craving: evidence from EEG beta-band analysis

In disaster contexts, fasting (food deprivation) and subsequent refeeding may substantially alter individuals’ food craving, thereby influencing decisions about resource allocation. Understanding these changes can provide insight into behavioural responses during disasters. However, the neural mechanisms underlying food craving across fasting and refeeding states remain poorly understood. In this study, we examine how disaster stimuli and different fasting durations affect food craving-related neural activity during fasting and after refeeding. We assess these effects using electroencephalographic (EEG) beta-band activity, which is closely associated with cognitive and behavioural processing. We find that disaster stimuli significantly influence food craving in both fasting and refeeding states, with stronger effects emerging after refeeding. Specifically, participants exposed to disaster stimuli exhibit significantly lower beta-band power spectral density in the frontal and occipital cortical regions. Food craving also differs significantly across fasting durations, with distinct brain regions involved during fasting and refeeding. Gender differences in food craving are evident during fasting but disappear following refeeding. Together, these findings provide neurophysiological evidence that disaster exposure, fasting duration, gender, and refeeding jointly shape food craving, offering new insights into behavioural responses relevant to post-disaster resource allocation.