Functional MRI of Stress in Obesity

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Stress in Obesity

To examine the influence of obesity on brain activation during food cue, stress, and neutral relaxing conditions

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Obesity

Detailed Description

Subjects will participate in an fMRI session to examine changes in frontal and limbic brain regions with food cues, stress and neutral/relaxing imagery

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 50

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Connecticut
    • New Haven, Connecticut, United States, 06519
      • Yale University School of Medicine

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 50 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

30 obese subjects and 30 matched healthy controls will be recruited for this study.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Between ages 18-50 years old.
2. Able to read and write.
3. negative urine toxicology screens during intake appointments indicating no history of current or past dependence on alcohol or illicit drug use.
4. WOMEN: have a regular menstrual cycle.
5. BMI: 30 < BMI < 35 for obese subjects (upper limit of 35 selected given our experience with heavier individuals fitting comfortably in the fMRI scanner) and 18.5 < BMI <25 for normal weight subjects (Institute, 2006)

Exclusion Criteria:

1. any major neurological illness or injury and any current or prior clinically significant mental health (including PTSD) or substance use disorder (with exception of nicotine dependence) as determined by SCID interview;
2. Regular use of any psychoactive drugs including anxiolytics and antidepressants.
3. Any significant current medical condition such as neurological, cardiovascular, endocrine, renal, liver, thyroid pathology; subjects on medications for any medical condition will be excluded.
4. Any subjects with foreign ferromagnetic metal objects in their body or other MR contraindications will be excluded including subjects who work as welders.
5. Women on oral contraceptives, peri- and post-menopausal women, and pregnant or lactating women (as alterations in stress response are associated with these states).

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Healthy; Subjects deemed to be medically healthy
Obese; Subjects deemed to be medically obese

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
No outcome measures for this study, this is an imaging study only	Upon study completion

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Yale University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Marc N Potenza, MD, PhD, Yale University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: May 1, 2008
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 1, 2014
• Study Completion (Actual): March 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 29, 2012
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 29, 2012
• First Posted (Estimate): November 1, 2012

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 13, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 11, 2022
• Last Verified: July 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Overweight; Body Weight; Obesity
• Other Study ID Numbers: 0805003899