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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Obesity
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Milkshake fMRI

Detailed Description

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.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 187
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Nebraska
    • Lincoln, Nebraska, United States, 68588
      • University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 19 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

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.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: fMRI; Participants are delivered sips of appetizing tastes (milkshake) and tasteless solution throughout the task while in the MRI scanner.	Other: Milkshake fMRI; 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.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Caudate Activation for Sip Cue	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.	7 seconds after cue is presented
Putamen Activation for Sip Cue	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.	7 seconds after cue is presented
Insula Activation for Sip Cue	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.	7 seconds after cue is presented
Caudate Activation for Sip Delivery	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.	7 seconds after delivery of sip
Putamen Activation for Sip Delivery	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.	7 seconds after delivery of sip
Insula Activation for Sip Delivery	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.	7 seconds after delivery of sip

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Nebraska Lincoln
• Collaborators: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK); Wayne State University; Stanford University; University of Utah; Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Timothy D Nelson, Ph.D., University of Nebraska Lincoln

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 30, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 24, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): April 24, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 13, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 18, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): August 21, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): January 12, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 19, 2025
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nutrition Disorders; Overnutrition; Body Weight; Overweight; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Obesity
• Other Study ID Numbers: 20317; R01DK125651 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: There is not a plan to make IPD available

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No