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Brain's Response to Chocolate

NCT ID: NCT03364413

Last Updated: 2023-12-08

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

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Total Enrollment

20 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2018-01-17

Study Completion Date

2018-03-02

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this study is to test how the brain responds when individuals eat enjoyable foods such as chocolate. Eating certain foods can make one want to keep eating even when feeling full, caused by dopamine in the brain. The researchers believe this dopamine response can be measured by looking at the individual's eye.

Detailed Description

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With obesity at an all-time high, understanding eating behavior beyond physical need is a priority. Food reinforcement is driven by central dopamine activity. However, objective measurement of brain dopamine-related behavioral events is hindered by the lack of non-invasive, accessible techniques that are amenable to testing in a "naturalistic" environment. The goal of this project is to develop a non-invasive, accessible methodology to measure dopaminergic responses to food in a natural setting. This research will use a novel, hand-held electroretinograph (ERG) that does not require eye dilation and uses a skin electrode to measure retinal dopamine activity. Previous work establishes that retinal dopamine activity can be used as a proxy for central dopamine function. The ability to assess both subjective behavioral variables and central dopaminergic responses simultaneously will provide an ideal approach for innovative studies of the control of eating behavior.

Conditions

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Overweight Obesity

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

OTHER

Study Groups

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Chocolate

Participants will be asked to taste commercially available chocolate varying in sugar, fat and percent cocoa (milk, 70%, 85% and 90% cocoa).

Chocolate

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants will be asked to taste commercially available chocolate varying in sugar, fat and percent cocoa (milk, 70%, 85% and 90% cocoa).

Interventions

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Chocolate

Participants will be asked to taste commercially available chocolate varying in sugar, fat and percent cocoa (milk, 70%, 85% and 90% cocoa).

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* body mass index 20-30 kg/m2
* free of any major illness or disease

Exclusion Criteria

* food allergies
* participation in a weight loss diet or exercise program
* pregnancy
* lactation
* metabolic illness or disease (diabetes, renal failure, thyroid illness, hypertension)
* eye illness or disease (narrow angle glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinal detachment, cataracts)
* psychiatric, neurological or eating disorders (schizophrenia, depression, Parkinson's Disease, Huntington's Disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, epilepsy, anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa)
* take prescription medications except for oral contraceptives or antihyperlipidemia agents
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

50 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Drexel University

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

USDA Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center

FED

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Shanon Casperson, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

USDA Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center

Locations

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USDA Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center

Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Casperson SL, Lanza L, Albajri E, Nasser JA. Increasing Chocolate's Sugar Content Enhances Its Psychoactive Effects and Intake. Nutrients. 2019 Mar 12;11(3):596. doi: 10.3390/nu11030596.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30870996 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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GFHNRC217

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id