Deconditioning of Acquired Food Aversion

Vall d'Hebron University Hospital (HUVH)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy

Treatments: Behavioral: Unmasking previous conditioning procedure; Behavioral: No unmasking of previous conditioning

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05897411

PR(AG)338/2016N

Details and patient eligibility

About

Background. Aversive conditioning impairs the rewarding value of a comfort meal.

Our aim is to demonstrate the potential effect of deconditioning to reverse aversive conditioning and restore the hedonic postprandial response.

Methods: A sham-controlled, randomised, parallel, single-blind study will be performed on 12 healthy women (6 per group). The rewarding value of a comfort meal will be measured at initial exposure, after aversive conditioning (masked administration of the same meal with a high-fat content) and after a deconditioning intervention (unmasking the aversive conditioning paradigm in the deconditioning group vs sham intervention in the control group). Digestive well-being (primary outcome) will be measured every 10 min before and 60 min after ingestion using graded scales. The effect of deconditioning (change from aversive conditioning to deconditioning) will be compared to sham deconditioning in the control group.

Expected results: The comfort meal at first exposure will induce a pleasant postprandial experience, which will be impaired by aversive conditioning; this effect will be reverted by deconditioning and the hedonic value of the comfort meal will be restored.

Enrollment: 12 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18 to 70 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• non-obese

Exclusion criteria

• history of gastrointestinal symptoms
• prior obesity
• use of medications
• history of anosmia and ageusia
• current dieting
• alcohol abuse
• psychological disorders
• eating disorders

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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12 participants in 2 patient groups

Deconditioning

Experimental group

Treatment:

Behavioral: Unmasking previous conditioning procedure

Sham deconditioning

Sham Comparator group

Treatment:

Behavioral: No unmasking of previous conditioning