Neuronal and Behavioral Effects of an Implicit Priming Approach to Improve Eating Behaviors in Obesity

University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver)

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Overweight and Obesity

Treatments: Behavioral: Food Exposure Task; Behavioral: Control Implicit Priming; Behavioral: Active Implicit Priming

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT05107908

R01DK125417 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

20-2821

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to determine how different behavioral interventions designed to alter food perceptions and behaviors affect brain responses to food, eating behaviors, and body weight.

Enrollment: 228 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 18-65 years old
• BMI of 27 or greater

Exclusion criteria

• MRI contraindications (e.g., metal or electronic devices in the body)
• Pregnancy

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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228 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

Active Implicit Priming

Experimental group

Description:

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. This will be completed on a weekly basis for 12 weeks, for approximately 10 minutes each time.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Active Implicit Priming

Control Implicit Priming

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Participants will complete control implicit priming, which matches the active intervention, but with neutral stimuli as primes. This will be completed on a weekly basis for 12 weeks, for approximately 10 minutes each time.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control Implicit Priming

Food Exposure Task

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants will complete a Food Exposure Task, in which they will be asked to smell, feel, lick, and imagine eating food items, but without actually eating them. This will be completed on a weekly basis for 12 weeks, for approximately 10-30 minutes each time.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Food Exposure Task