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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04522947

Modifiable Predictors of Neural Vulnerabilities for Obesity

The purpose of this study is to examine patterns of neural activation in a priori selected brain regions associated with reward process during anticipation and delivery of appetizing food stimuli (milkshake sips) among young adults.

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Key information

Conditions

Obesity Body Weight Nutrition Disorders Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Overnutrition Overweight Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

19 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588, United States

About this study

This observational trial seeks to examine neural activation patterns in a food reward sensitivity task. The study uses the "milkshake" MRI task to assess individual food reward sensitivity in a sample of young adult participants. Participants are presented with a series of trials in which a visual cue is provided (either a glass of milkshake or water), followed by delivery of a sip of the corresponding liquid. Activation in a priori regions associated with reward processing is measured via blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal, both in response to the cue and actual delivery of the sip. Explicating patterns of reward processing for appetizing food stimuli holds potential to inform understanding of the neural underpinnings of obesity risk.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • 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

Exclusion criteria

  • 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.

Treatment and study plan

Milkshake fMRI

Other

While in the MRI scanner, the participant is shown a cue indicating the impending delivery of either milkshake or tasteless solution, followed by a brief blank screen, then delivery of the sip, and then a swallow cue. This procedure is repeated throughout the task.

Primary outcomes

  1. Caudate Activation for Sip Cue

    Time frame: 7 seconds after cue is presented

    MRI blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) activity signal in the caudate for all milkshake cue trials versus all tasteless solution cue trials (milkshake>tasteless) after receiving the cue but before the delivery of the actual sip.

  2. Putamen Activation for Sip Cue

    Time frame: 7 seconds after cue is presented

    MRI blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) activity signal in the putamen for all milkshake cue trials versus all tasteless solution cue trials (milkshake>tasteless) after receiving the cue but before the delivery of the actual sip.

  3. Insula Activation for Sip Cue

    Time frame: 7 seconds after cue is presented

    MRI blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) activity signal in the insula for all milkshake cue trials versus all tasteless solution cue trials (milkshake>tasteless) after receiving the cue but before the delivery of the actual sip.

  4. Caudate Activation for Sip Delivery

    Time frame: 7 seconds after delivery of sip

    MRI blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) activity signal in the caudate for all milkshake trials versus all tasteless solution trials (milkshake>tasteless) upon delivery of the actual sip.

  5. Putamen Activation for Sip Delivery

    Time frame: 7 seconds after delivery of sip

    MRI blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) activity signal in the putamen for all milkshake trials versus all tasteless solution trials (milkshake>tasteless) upon delivery of the actual sip.

  6. Insula Activation for Sip Delivery

    Time frame: 7 seconds after delivery of sip

    MRI blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) activity signal in the insula for all milkshake trials versus all tasteless solution trials (milkshake>tasteless) upon delivery of the actual sip.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Other

Collaborators

  • Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
  • Stanford University
  • University of Utah
  • Wayne State University

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Aug 21, 2020
Registry last updated
Jan 12, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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