The Role of the FTO Gene in Reward System Activation in Obese and Healthy Subjects

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Obesity; Eating Behavior
• Interventions: Procedure: Blood sampling for genetic analyse; Behavioral: Stroop test; Other: fMRI

• Registration Number: NCT01863212
• Lead Sponsor: Uppsala University

Brief Summary

In order to investigate if individuals, carrying genetic variants predisposing to obesity, respond differently to visual presented food images than non-carriers the investigators aim to screen 500 people for a common risk variant in the FTO gene. From those 500 screened 40 subjects, 20 homozygous for the risk allele and 20 homozygous for a non risk allele will be selected for the second step in the study. This part involves the fMRI technique to visualize the brain response, focus on reward system activation, when food images are visually presented in the scanner. Factors regarding eating behavior, sleep, physical exercise and relation to food are investigated in the first part of the study as well as clinical parameters such as BMI.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2010-09
• Status Verified: 2013-05
• Study First Submitted: 2013-05-21
• Study First Submitted QC: 2013-05-22
• Last Update Submitted: 2013-05-22
• Study First Posted: 2013-05-27
• Last Update Posted: 2013-05-27
• Primary Completion: 2014-09
• Study Completion: 2014-09

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 500

Inclusion Criteria

• No medications (except contraceptives including estrogen)
• No metabolic disorders/diseases
• Right handed
• Color vision
• Normal sleep-wake rhythm (eg. shift workers can not participate)

Exclusion Criteria

• Specific preferences of food, for example vegetarians
• Grandparents originating from country outside the Nordic area
• Metallic implants

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Non risk allele carriers	fMRI	Individuals homozygous for the non-risk allele (T/T) The interventions administrated to this group: 'Blood sampling for genetic analyse', 'Stroop test', 'fMRI'
Risk allele carriers	Blood sampling for genetic analyse	Individuals homozygous for the risk allele (A/A) The interventions administrated to this group: 'Blood sampling for genetic analyse', 'Stroop test', 'fMRI'
Non risk allele carriers	Blood sampling for genetic analyse	Individuals homozygous for the non-risk allele (T/T) The interventions administrated to this group: 'Blood sampling for genetic analyse', 'Stroop test', 'fMRI'
Risk allele carriers	fMRI	Individuals homozygous for the risk allele (A/A) The interventions administrated to this group: 'Blood sampling for genetic analyse', 'Stroop test', 'fMRI'
Risk allele carriers	Stroop test	Individuals homozygous for the risk allele (A/A) The interventions administrated to this group: 'Blood sampling for genetic analyse', 'Stroop test', 'fMRI'
Non risk allele carriers	Stroop test	Individuals homozygous for the non-risk allele (T/T) The interventions administrated to this group: 'Blood sampling for genetic analyse', 'Stroop test', 'fMRI'

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Genotyping for variants in the FTO gene associated with overweight and obesity	Blood sampling for genetic analyse is performed at the initiation visit

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

Uppsala University; 🇸🇪 Uppsala, Uppsala County, Sweden

dep. Neuroscience, Uppsala University; 🇸🇪 Uppsala, Uppsala County, Sweden