Brain's Response to Chocolate

Completed

• Conditions: Overweight; Obesity
• Interventions: Other: Chocolate

• Registration Number: NCT03364413
• Lead Sponsor: USDA Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to test how the brain responds when individuals eat enjoyable foods such as chocolate. Eating certain foods can make one want to keep eating even when feeling full, caused by dopamine in the brain. The researchers believe this dopamine response can be measured by looking at the individual's eye.

Detailed Description

With obesity at an all-time high, understanding eating behavior beyond physical need is a priority. Food reinforcement is driven by central dopamine activity. However, objective measurement of brain dopamine-related behavioral events is hindered by the lack of non-invasive, accessible techniques that are amenable to testing in a "naturalistic" environment. The goal of this project is to develop a non-invasive, accessible methodology to measure dopaminergic responses to food in a natural setting. This research will use a novel, hand-held electroretinograph (ERG) that does not require eye dilation and uses a skin electrode to measure retinal dopamine activity. Previous work establishes that retinal dopamine activity can be used as a proxy for central dopamine function. The ability to assess both subjective behavioral variables and central dopaminergic responses simultaneously will provide an ideal approach for innovative studies of the control of eating behavior.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2017-11-30
• Study First Submitted QC: 2017-11-30
• Study First Posted: 2017-12-06
• Study Start: 2018-01-17
• Primary Completion: 2018-03-02
• Study Completion: 2018-03-02
• Status Verified: 2023-12
• Last Update Submitted: 2023-12-01
• Last Update Posted: 2023-12-08

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 20

Inclusion Criteria

• body mass index 20-30 kg/m2
• free of any major illness or disease

Exclusion Criteria

• food allergies
• participation in a weight loss diet or exercise program
• pregnancy
• lactation
• metabolic illness or disease (diabetes, renal failure, thyroid illness, hypertension)
• eye illness or disease (narrow angle glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinal detachment, cataracts)
• psychiatric, neurological or eating disorders (schizophrenia, depression, Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, epilepsy, anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa)
• take prescription medications except for oral contraceptives or antihyperlipidemia agents

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Chocolate	Chocolate	Participants will be asked to taste commercially available chocolate varying in sugar, fat and percent cocoa (milk, 70%, 85% and 90% cocoa).

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Psychoactive Effects Questionnaire in response to oral stimuli	30 minutes	The number of positive responses on the Psychoactive Effects Questionnaire will increase in response to increases in the sugar content of the chocolate
Retinal dopamine response to oral stimuli	30 minutes	Electroretinograph beta wave amplitude will increase in response to increases in the amount of sugar in the chocolate

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Scores on the Binge Eating Scale will correlate with the retinal dopamine and Psychoactive Effect Questionnaire responses	30 minutes	Individual changes in the retinal dopamine response and the number of positive responses on the Psychoactive Effects Questionnaire will correlate with individual scores on the Binge Eating Scale

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

USDA Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center; 🇺🇸 Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States