Responses to Appetite and Taste in the Brain Circuits That Control Eating Behaviour: An fMRI Study Evaluating Brain Structure, Connectivity and Responses to Taste Across Different Body Weight Categories and in Response to Weight Loss
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Obesity
- Sponsor
- University College, London
- Enrollment
- 75
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- BOLD signal change after SG
- Status
- Suspended
- Last Updated
- 5 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
The aim of this study is to gain insight into brain structure and the neural networks that control taste and eating behaviour in patients with severe obesity undergoing a primary sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or a lifestyle intervention for weight loss compared with normal weight individuals, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
Detailed Description
This is an observational study aiming to gain insight into brain structure and the neural networks that control taste and eating behaviour in patients with severe obesity undergoing a primary sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or a lifestyle intervention for weight loss compared with normal weight individuals using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Drops of liquid foods and a control solution will be delivered to the participants' mouth during fMRI scanning. Body weight, gut hormones from serial blood samples, appetite scores and taste will be assessed at each study visit.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Female and male adults aged 18-50 years.
- •Right-handed.
- •No MRI contra-indications.
- •Weight stable at time of recruitment, defined as less than 5% variation in body weight over the preceding 3 months.
- •Proficient in written and spoken English.
- •Able to comply with study protocol.
- •Willing and able to provide written informed consent.
- •Participants must be registered with a general practitioner (GP).
- •Willing for their treating consultant or their GP and the study team to be informed in the event of an incidental abnormal finding being detected by the investigations or assessments that form part of this study.
- •Able to lie flat for 1 hour.
Exclusion Criteria
- •Body weight greater than 130kg (due to weight limit of MRI Scanner).
- •Contraindications specific to MRI scanning: metallic implants (cardiac pacemakers, aneurysm clips, permanent eye lining, cochlear implants or anyone who has been exposed to metallic flakes or splinters).
- •Type 1 and type 2 diabetes (in view of altered circulated gut hormone profiles and gustatory function).
- •Menopause (in view of findings that the menopause affects gustatory function).
- •Smoking (in view of the fact that smoking affects salivary gut hormones and gustatory function).
- •Vitamin B12 or zinc deficiency (in view of deficiencies affecting gustatory function).
- •Untreated severe depression.
- •Eating disorders including bulimia and self-induced vomiting.
- •Neurological or psychiatric conditions.
- •Acute illness or chronic conditions that may impact upon gustatory and olfactory function.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
BOLD signal change after SG
Time Frame: approximately 6 weeks
To determine the effect of SG, at 10% weight loss, upon whole-brain neural response to taste, in the fed and fasted state, detected through blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal, in patients with severe obesity.
Secondary Outcomes
- BOLD signal change after lifestyle intervention(average of 12 weeks)
- Correlation of taste responses and gut hormones(6 months)
- Brain structure 6 months following SG(6 months)
- BOLD signal in response to taste in severe obesity compared to normal weight(baseline)
- Brain structure(Baseline)
- BOLD signal change post-SG(6 months)
- Brain structure after 10% weight loss(approximately 6 weeks for SG group and approximately 12 weeks for lifestyle intervention group)