Modifiable Predictors of Neural Vulnerabilities for Obesity
- Conditions
- Obesity
- Interventions
- Other: Milkshake fMRI
- Registration Number
- NCT04522947
- Lead Sponsor
- University of Nebraska Lincoln
- Brief Summary
The purpose of this study is to examine how certain factors in childhood and adolescence relate to neural vulnerabilities for obesity in young adulthood. It is hypothesized that specific individual and environmental factors will significantly predict neural vulnerabilities for obesity.
- Detailed Description
Studies aimed at elucidating neural vulnerability factors for obesity - including high food reward sensitivity and poor food regulation - hold particular promise. However, relatively little is known about the modifiable factors that contribute to these neural vulnerabilities, thus precluding the development of potentially powerful interventions to promote healthy long-term weight trajectories. Further, the limited research in this area lacks critical developmental and environmental context. The current proposal addresses these gaps by examining the roles of selected modifiable cognitive (executive control), behavioral (diet, sleep), affective (negative affect), and environmental (obesogenic environment) factors throughout childhood and adolescence in predicting emerging neural vulnerabilities for obesity during the pivotal transition to young adulthood. The specific aims are to: 1) Determine the impact of executive control development across childhood and adolescence on food reward sensitivity and regulation in young adulthood; 2) Determine the impact of a set of behavioral and affective factors in adolescence (i.e., diet, sleep, negative affect) on food reward sensitivity and regulation in young adulthood; and 3) Explore the impact of the obesogenic environment encountered in adolescence on food reward sensitivity and regulation in young adulthood.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 187
- Age 19 years or older
- Previous participation in the Preschool Problem Solving Study OR lived in Lancaster County, NE for at least part of high school
- Contraindications for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI):
- metal in body
- pregnancy
- braces
- non-removal piercings
- hair extensions
- As of 8/13/21, for individuals who were not in the Preschool Problem Solving Study but are invited to participate in the current study because they lived in Lancaster County for at least part of high school, the maximum age for eligibility is 20 years of age.
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- SINGLE_GROUP
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description fMRI Milkshake fMRI Participants are delivered sips of appetizing tastes (milkshake) and tasteless solution throughout the task while in the MRI scanner.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Reward region activation 5 seconds after taste delivery Activation in brain reward regions following taste delivery, as measured by fMRI
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
🇺🇸Lincoln, Nebraska, United States