Neuronal and Behavioral Effects of Implicit Priming in Obese Individuals

NCT ID: NCT02347527

Last Updated: 2022-09-07

Study Results

Results available

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

92 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2013-05-31

Study Completion Date

2019-08-31

Brief Summary

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The overall goals of this project are to determine the impact of an implicit priming intervention, designed to alter food perceptions, on both brain responses to food and on food intake behaviors in overweight/obese individuals. The investigators hypothesized that this bottom-up sensory-level conditioning approach would effectively result in reduced preference for high-calorie foods.

Detailed Description

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One factor that may contribute to susceptibility to obesity is a high responsivity to high-calorie foods in terms of cognitive factors such as emotional associations, reward value or reinforcing properties of food. Many of these processes involve learned associations thought to develop via classical conditioning through repeated pairings with external stimuli, which can influence food preferences and intake. As such, improving our understanding of the neuronal mechanisms underlying these processes and attempting to modify them may be a useful strategy to promote weight loss and maintenance. Therefore, the proposed study aims to investigate the effects of altering food perception on neuronal responses and food intake behaviors by using implicit priming, in which positively or negatively valenced images are presented immediately prior to food images, but are not consciously perceived.

The project goals are to determine the impact of the implicit priming intervention on both brain responses to food cues and on food intake behaviors in overweight/obese individuals. Food image ratings were assessed before and after either (a) an active implicit priming intervention or (b) a control intervention. One group of participants (n = 47; "MRI sample") completed the intervention during an fMRI scan and completed a visual food cues task both before and after the intervention (during fMRI), to assess intervention-related change in neuronal responses to food cues. In this group, food intake measures were also taken following fMRI. In a separate group of participants (n = 45; "Behavioral-only sample"), the primary outcome measure was the change in food image ratings from pre- to post-intervention; fMRI and measures of food intake were not assessed in this group.

Conditions

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Feeding Behavior Obesity Overweight

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

The "MRI sample" and "Behavioral-only sample" involve separate participants who complete the same intervention (assigned to either active or control groups), but the "MRI sample" also completed MRI outcomes and a food intake outcome that the "Behavioral-only sample" did not.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Participants Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Active Implicit Priming (MRI sample)

Participants will complete active implicit priming, in which food images are implicitly primed (i.e., below conscious awareness) with images of positive or negative affect. In addition to measures of food image ratings, this group completed a visual food cues scan during fMRI to assess change in neuronal response to food cues. They also completed a measure of food intake post-intervention.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Active Implicit Priming

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

A 10-minute implicit priming intervention, associating food images with images of positive or negative valence.

Control Implicit Priming (MRI sample)

Participants will complete a control implicit priming intervention, which matches the active intervention, but with neutral stimuli as primes. In addition to measures of food image ratings, this group completed a visual food cues scan during fMRI to assess change in neuronal response to food cues. They also completed a measure of food intake post-intervention.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Control Implicit Priming

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

A 10-minute implicit priming intervention, associating food images with images of neutral valence.

Active Implicit Priming (Behavioral-only sample)

Participants will complete active implicit priming, in which food images are implicitly primed (i.e., below conscious awareness) with images of positive or negative affect.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Active Implicit Priming

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

A 10-minute implicit priming intervention, associating food images with images of positive or negative valence.

Control Implicit Priming (Behavioral-only sample)

Participants will complete a control implicit priming intervention, which matches the active intervention, but with neutral stimuli as primes.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Control Implicit Priming

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

A 10-minute implicit priming intervention, associating food images with images of neutral valence.

Interventions

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Active Implicit Priming

A 10-minute implicit priming intervention, associating food images with images of positive or negative valence.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Control Implicit Priming

A 10-minute implicit priming intervention, associating food images with images of neutral valence.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Overweight/obese adults
* Healthy weight adults

Exclusion Criteria

* Vegetarian, vegan, or having other wide-ranging food restrictions
* Currently dieting
Minimum Eligible Age

21 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Colorado, Denver

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Jason R Tregellas, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Colorado, Denver

Kristina T Legget, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Colorado, Denver

Locations

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University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Aurora, Colorado, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Legget KT, Cornier MA, Erpelding C, Lawful BP, Bear JJ, Kronberg E, Tregellas JR. An implicit priming intervention alters brain and behavioral responses to high-calorie foods: a randomized controlled study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022 Apr 1;115(4):1194-1204. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac009.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 35030242 (View on PubMed)

Legget KT, Cornier MA, Rojas DC, Lawful B, Tregellas JR. Harnessing the power of disgust: a randomized trial to reduce high-calorie food appeal through implicit priming. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Aug;102(2):249-55. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.115.106955. Epub 2015 Jun 24.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 26109580 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

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Other Identifiers

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R21DK102052

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

P30DK048520

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

13-1786

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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