Crave Crush Neuroimaging Study

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Obesity
• Interventions: Dietary Supplement: Placebo; Dietary Supplement: Crave Crush

• Registration Number: NCT02949102
• Lead Sponsor: Oregon Research Behavioral Intervention Strategies, Inc.

Brief Summary

The purpose of the research is to test whether a gymnemic acids (GA) lozenge will reduce reward region response to intake of high-sugar food and ad lib candy intake and whether the GA lozenge reduced reward region response to anticipated intake of high-sugar food and high-sugar food pictures relative to a placebo lozenge.

Detailed Description

Test the hypothesis that an acute dose of Crave Crush will produce greater reductions in reward region response to a taste of a high-sugar/high-fat beverage and anticipated receipt of this beverage than a placebo dose.

Test the hypothesis that a dose of Crave Crush will result in reduced ad lib candy intake while the participants complete a survey after the fMRI scan. Participants will receive a second dose of Crave Crush or placebo. They will then be placed in a room to complete a few surveys. A bowl of candy will be placed on the table. Participants will be told that the candy is left over from their assessment and that they are free to have as much as they like, because the candy must be discarded after each participant.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2015-12
• Primary Completion: 2016-06
• Study Completion: 2016-06
• Study First Submitted: 2016-10-26
• Study First Submitted QC: 2016-10-27
• Study First Posted: 2016-10-31
• Status Verified: 2018-07
• Last Update Submitted: 2018-07-17
• Last Update Posted: 2018-07-19

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 40

Inclusion Criteria

• Between 18 and 50 years old
• report having a sweet tooth
• report desire to lose weight
• Body Mass Index between 18 and 40

Exclusion Criteria

• major psychiatric disorders
• serious health problems (e.g., diabetes)
• habitual use of psychoactive drugs or medications
• contraindications for MRI scanning (e.g., ferromagnetic braces)
• gluten or lactose intolerance
• a vegan diet.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Placebo	Placebo	The placebo tablet is comparable in taste and is comprised primarily of sorbitol.
Crave Crush	Crave Crush	Crave Crush is a plant-based tablet that alters taste perception by affecting sweet taste receptors on the tongue.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
fMRI responses to high-sugar food tastes and food cues	13 minutes	Blood oxygen dependent signal (BOLD) response in exposure to intake of high-sugar food and food cues will be measured during a fMRI scan to test whether the GA lozenge produces greater reductions in activity in reward-related brain regions relative to a placebo lozenge.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
candy consumption	15 minutes	The current study tested whether the GA lozenge reduces ad lib candy intake relative to a placebo lozenge.