A Translational Understanding of Obesity-Related Phenotypes Using Brain Imaging and Manipulation

Not Applicable

Recruiting

Brief Summary: This study will examine a potential relationship between family history of obesity, that is whether people with at least one parent who had obesity in adulthood compared to people with two parents who did not have obesity in adulthood, and the ability of protein intake to curb further intake of food.

Detailed Description: 1) Abstract of the study A positive energy balance (greater intake than expenditure) can explain weight gain and, when protracted, leads to overweight and obesity. The major question addressed in this proposal is if the timing of activation of specific regions of the brain is predictive of excessive food intake. Functional near infra-red spectroscopy (fNIR), seldom used in human eating studies, provides data similar to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) but allows for measurement of brain activation during food consumption. The investigator's pilot fNIR data reveal that varying patterns of regional PFC activation are associated with "loss of control" over eating, and that only 60% of individuals respond to acute protein intake with a reduction in food intake. Using fNIR and an acute protein challenge, the investigator will assess the effect of family history of obesity in humans on the satiation response to protein and concomitant activation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). It is hypothesized that activation of the human medial PFC before the lateral PFC will result in greater intake of palatable food in those subjects with a proneness to obesity, and that these subjects will be less sensitive to the satiety-inducing effects of a protein preload. These results should provide an innovative and useful method for assessing risk for developing obesity and usefulness of preventative interventions.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Preloads	Ensure and Water	Delivery of two different preloads to all participants, each preload tested on a separate day/participant, prior to consumption of pizza

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Baseline lateral prefrontal cortex oxygenated hemoglobin	20 minutes	Micromoles per millimeter of oxygenated hemoglobin of the lateral prefrontal cortex prior to pizza consumption
lateral prefrontal cortex Oxygenated hemoglobin concentration	3-15 minutes	Micromoles per millimeter of oxygenated hemoglobin of the lateral prefrontal cortex during pizza consumption phase
Baseline medial prefrontal cortex oxygenated hemoglobin	20 minutes	Micromoles per millimeter of oxygenated hemoglobin of the medial prefrontal cortex prior to pizza consumption
Grams of pizza consumed	3-15 minutes	Ad libitum during the pizza eating episode
medial prefrontal cortex Oxygenated hemoglobin concentration	3-15 minutes	Micromoles per millimeter of oxygenated hemoglobin of the medial prefrontal cortex during pizza consumption phase

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
lateral prefrontal cortex Time to Peak Light Intensity	3-15 minutes	The time in seconds that it takes for the oxygenated hemoglobin signal to reach peak in the lateral prefrontal cortex during the ad libitum eating episode for each preload
medial prefrontal cortex Time to Peak Light Intensity	3-15 minutes	The time in seconds that it takes for the oxygenated hemoglobin signal to reach peak in the medial prefrontal cortex during the ad libitum eating episode for each preload
Preload Oxygenated Hemoglobin Difference	5 minutes	The difference between the oxygenated hemoglobin concentrations obtained under the two different preloads

Locations (1): Drexel University
🇺🇸
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States