Brain Plasticity and GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Treatment for Obesity (PLASTIC)

June 30, 2026 updated by: University of Colorado, Denver

Investigating Brain PLASTICity and GLP-1 Receptor Agonists in the Treatment of Obesity: The PLASTIC Trial

Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA), such as Ozempic and Wegovy, have been rapidly adopted for the treatment of obesity in both youth and adults. However, despite this rapid adoption and the known GLP-1RA mechanism of action for weight loss, which targets brain circuits responsible for appetite and eating behaviors, almost nothing is known about how these drugs affect the brain in youth who are treated for obesity, or how these drugs affect the brain of youth differently from adults. The goal of the current study is to compare youth and adults with obesity who are treated a GLP-1RA and measure potential difference in GLP-1RA associated change in brain function, appetite, and eating behaviors.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
120

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Colorado
      • Aurora, Colorado, United States, 80045
        • University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Allison Shapiro, PhD, MPH
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • English-speaking
  • male or female (sex assigned at birth)
  • 12-18 y/o with obesity (BMI>120% of the 95th %ile)
  • 30-45 y/o with obesity (BMI>35 kg/m2)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • treated with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists (e.g., exenatide, liraglutide, semaglutide, tirzepatide) for weight management in the prior 3 months
  • currently taking anti-psychotic medications (anti-depressants accepted)
  • diagnosis of type 2 diabetes
  • current or lifetime anorexia nervosa or current bulimia nervosa
  • head injury resulting in loss of consciousness >30min
  • neurological disorder (e.g., Parkinson's disease) or history of stroke
  • any contraindication to receiving a MRI (e.g., orthodontal braces)
  • psychological/behavioral dysfunction (e.g., autism spectrum disorder) or physical impairment that would interfere with study procedures, as determined by study physician
  • if female, desiring to become pregnant, or currently pregnant or breastfeeding

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Pubertal Adolescent - Continuous Treatment
Pubertal adolescents defined as Tanner stage 2-4 and/or 12-15 y/o who will receive 32 weeks of semaglutide (s.c.)
Drug: Semaglutide 1.7mg subcutaneous
Semaglutide subcutaneous max dose of 1.7mg over 24 or 32 weeks of active treatment
Other Names:
  • SEMA
Experimental: Pubertal Adolescent - Early Treatment Cessation
Pubertal adolescents defined as Tanner stage 2-4 and/or 12-15 y/o who will receive 24 weeks of semaglutide (s.c.) followed by 8 weeks of placebo
Drug: Semaglutide 1.7mg subcutaneous
Semaglutide subcutaneous max dose of 1.7mg over 24 or 32 weeks of active treatment
Other Names:
  • SEMA
Drug: Placebo
Placebo saline solution subcutaneous
Experimental: Post-Pubertal Adolescent - Continuous Treatment
Post-pubertal adolescents defined as Tanner stage 5 and/or 16-18 y/o who will receive 32 weeks of semaglutide (s.c.)
Drug: Semaglutide 1.7mg subcutaneous
Semaglutide subcutaneous max dose of 1.7mg over 24 or 32 weeks of active treatment
Other Names:
  • SEMA
Experimental: Post-Pubertal Adolescent - Early Treatment Cessation
Post-pubertal adolescents defined as Tanner stage 5 and/or 16-18 y/o who will receive 24 weeks of semaglutide (s.c.) followed by 8 weeks of placebo
Drug: Semaglutide 1.7mg subcutaneous
Semaglutide subcutaneous max dose of 1.7mg over 24 or 32 weeks of active treatment
Other Names:
  • SEMA
Drug: Placebo
Placebo saline solution subcutaneous
Active Comparator: Adult - Continuous Treatment
Adults defined as 30-45 y/o who will receive 32 weeks of semaglutide (s.c.)
Drug: Semaglutide 1.7mg subcutaneous
Semaglutide subcutaneous max dose of 1.7mg over 24 or 32 weeks of active treatment
Other Names:
  • SEMA
Active Comparator: Adult - Early Treatment Cessation
Adults defined as 30-45 y/o who will receive 24 weeks of semaglutide (s.c.) followed by 8 weeks of placebo
Drug: Semaglutide 1.7mg subcutaneous
Semaglutide subcutaneous max dose of 1.7mg over 24 or 32 weeks of active treatment
Other Names:
  • SEMA
Drug: Placebo
Placebo saline solution subcutaneous

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
blood oxygen-level dependent signal
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of trial at 32 weeks
measured via resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging
From enrollment to the end of trial at 32 weeks
meal kilocalories (kcal)
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of trial at 32 weeks
Measured as kcal consumed from standardized ad libitum meal
From enrollment to the end of trial at 32 weeks
visual analogue scale (VAS) score for hunger
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of trial at 32 weeks
pre- and post-meal hunger measured on a 100mm VAS
From enrollment to the end of trial at 32 weeks
visual analogue scale (VAS) for desire to eat
Time Frame: From enrollment to end of trial at 32 weeks
pre- and post-meal desire to eat measured on a 100mm VAS
From enrollment to end of trial at 32 weeks
visual analogue scale (VAS) score for fullness
Time Frame: From enrollment to end of trial at 32 weeks
pre- and post-meal feeling of fullness measured on a 100mm VAS
From enrollment to end of trial at 32 weeks
visual analogue scale (VAS) score for amount participant feels they can eat
Time Frame: From enrollment to end of trial at 32 weeks
pre- and post-meal of amount participant feels they can eat measured on a 100mm VAS
From enrollment to end of trial at 32 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Colorado, Denver

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
University of Minnesota
The Metis Foundation

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Allison Shapiro, PhD, MPH, University of Colorado, Denver

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 15, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 30, 2031

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 30, 2031

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 3, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 6, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 15, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 2, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 30, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • Pending (Other Grant/Funding Number: National Institutes of Allery and Infectious Diseases)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Pending consent authorization by participants

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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