Neural Mechanisms Underlying Children's Responses to Food Portion Size and Energy Density

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Total Enrollment

108 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2013-07-31

Study Completion Date

2015-12-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Increased portion sizes of foods high in energy density (calories per gram of food) have been implicated in the obesity epidemic. Numerous studies show that children and adults eat more from larger portions of food than they do from smaller portions, a response known as the portion size effect. Despite the robust and consistent nature of these findings, the mechanisms underlying the portion size effect are not known. The long-term goal of this research is to identify the neural mechanisms involved in the portion size effect so that this information can be used to develop effective weight-management strategies. Differences in neural response to food cues, as demonstrated by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), can help clarify the factors that determine susceptibility to large portions. The goal of this study is to identify brain regions activated in response to portion size and energy density and relate these neural responses to laboratory eating behaviors in children.

The investigators hypothesize that high relative to low energy density food images will be associated with increased activation in regions of the brain involved in reward- and sensory- processing and that large relative to small portion size food images will be associated with increased activation in regions of the brain involved in cognitive control. In addition, the investigators hypothesize that these brain responses will influence the relationship between portion size served and energy intake at laboratory meals.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

What this study will add to the literature: The response to food images that vary by portion size using fMRI has not been previously reported. Furthermore, how the brain response to food portion size and energy density is related to energy intake has not been previously reported. The goal of this study is to identify brain regions activated in response to portion size and energy density and relate these neural responses to laboratory eating behaviors in children.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Pediatric Obesity

Keywords

Explore important study keywords that can help with search, categorization, and topic discovery.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Portion Size Energy Intake

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Right-handedness
* English as native language
* Reading at /above grade level
* Not claustrophobic
* Generally healthy

Exclusion Criteria

* Left-handedness
* Metal in or on the body that cannot be removed
* Claustrophobic
* Medication usage that could alter brain activity
* Medical disorder that may impact comfort in scanner
* Food allergies

Minimum Eligible Age

7 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

10 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Kathleen Loralee Keller

Director, Metabolic Kitchen & Children's Eating Behavior Lab

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Kathleen Keller, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The Pennsylvania State University

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

English L, Lasschuijt M, Keller KL. Mechanisms of the portion size effect. What is known and where do we go from here? Appetite. 2015 May;88:39-49. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.11.004. Epub 2014 Nov 11.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

PMID: 25447010 (View on PubMed)

Fearnbach SN, English LK, Lasschuijt M, Wilson SJ, Savage JS, Fisher JO, Rolls BJ, Keller KL. Brain response to images of food varying in energy density is associated with body composition in 7- to 10-year-old children: Results of an exploratory study. Physiol Behav. 2016 Aug 1;162:3-9. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.03.007. Epub 2016 Mar 10.

Reference Type RESULT

PMID: 26973134 (View on PubMed)

Diktas HE, Keller KL, Roe LS, Rolls BJ. Children's Portion Selection Is Predicted by Food Liking and Is Related to Intake in Response to Increased Portions. J Nutr. 2022 Oct 6;152(10):2287-2296. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxac162.

Reference Type DERIVED

PMID: 35883226 (View on PubMed)

Keller KL, English LK, Fearnbach SN, Lasschuijt M, Anderson K, Bermudez M, Fisher JO, Rolls BJ, Wilson SJ. Brain response to food cues varying in portion size is associated with individual differences in the portion size effect in children. Appetite. 2018 Jun 1;125:139-151. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.01.027. Epub 2018 Feb 2.