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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03976427

Translating Neuroscience to Population Health

The current study will examine the relationship between brain responses and a guided imagery exercise in overweight and obese individuals. Results of this work are highly relevant to public health because they employ neuroimaging methods to understand food decision-making. Findings from this study will inform health decision making and holds great potential for future translation across multiple health behaviors and scalable interventions to impact population health

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Key information

Conditions

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

Age range

18 year–55 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Kansas Medical Center

Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, United States

About this study

Negative health behaviors (e.g. overeating, smoking) are associated with increased negative health outcomes. Engaging in healthy behaviors is not always rewarding (e.g. carrot vs. cake). Neural models of healthy behaviors focus on the balance between reward and regulation brain regions. The current pilot application examines the engagement of these regions during the evaluation of food and nonfood cues before and after a guided imagery exercise targeting positive associations with food and regulation.

The long-term goal is to understand the interaction between positive associations with healthy foods and thinking about future rewards may influence healthy decision-making. The objective of the current study is to empirically test the combined effects of positive affect and positive episodic future thinking on brain activation.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • body mass index 25 to 55 kg/m2
  • right-handed
  • not currently dieting or attempting to lose weight.

Exclusion criteria

  • serious medical illness unsuitable for the magnetic resonance imaging scanner based on best clinical judgment
  • any neurologic or current psychiatric diagnosis
  • currently taking anti-seizure medication
  • history of concussion
  • left-handedness
  • risk for hazard due to magnetic fields such as metal in the body surgically or accidentally
  • pregnancy

Treatment and study plan

GUIDED IMAGERY

Behavioral

The guided imagery exercise asks participants to think about positive associations with healthy foods and imagine their future healthy selves.

Primary outcomes

  1. Brain Activation in Self-Regulation Brain Regions

    Time frame: 1 hour

    Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging will measure brain activation changes in self-regulation brain regions including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex when participants view healthy compared to unhealthy food images before and after the guided imagery exercise

  2. Brain Activation in Reward Brain Regions

    Time frame: 1 hour

    Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging will measure brain activation changes in reward brain regions including the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and striatum when participants view healthy compared to unhealthy food images before and after the guided imagery exercise

Secondary outcomes

  1. Food Choice

    Time frame: 1 hour

    Observational preference for healthy compared to unhealthy food choices measured by the number of healthy and unhealthy foods selected following the guided imagery exercise

  2. Food Demand

    Time frame: 1 hour

    Behavioral changes in demand for healthy compared to unhealthy foods will be measured by asking participants to indicate how healthy and unhealthy food items they would eat in a day if the items were freely available

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Kansas Medical Center

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Changing How the Brain Responds When Making Decisions: Translating Neuroscience to Population Health

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2019
Study completion
2019
First posted
Jun 6, 2019
Registry last updated
Aug 5, 2019

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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