A lesion in the ventromedial hypothalamus would most likely result in which outcome?

• A. Satiety signaling is impaired, making the person feel less full.
• B. Hunger signals are entirely absent.
• C. Fear responses are heightened.
• D. Memory formation is disrupted.

Answer: (A)

Satiety signaling is impaired, making the person feel less full.

The ventromedial hypothalamus acts as a key satiety center. When it’s functioning, it helps signal that enough food has been consumed, contributing to the cessation of eating. If this region is damaged, those satiety signals don’t come through reliably, so eating continues beyond what is needed and meals can become unusually large, leading to increased feeding behavior.

It helps to contrast with other functions: hunger signals aren’t simply turned off by VMH damage—if anything, hunger drive can become louder or unregulated. Fear responses and memory formation involve other brain areas (like the amygdala and hippocampus, respectively), so their disruption wouldn’t primarily reflect VMH damage.