Brain's Response to Chocolate

NCT03364413 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: GFHNRC217
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 20
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Overweight; Obesity

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Retinal dopamine response to oral stimuli

  Electroretinograph beta wave amplitude will increase in response to increases in the amount of sugar in the chocolate

  30 minutes

• Psychoactive Effects Questionnaire in response to oral stimuli

  The number of positive responses on the Psychoactive Effects Questionnaire will increase in response to increases in the sugar content of the chocolate

  30 minutes

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Scores on the Binge Eating Scale will correlate with the retinal dopamine and Psychoactive Effect Questionnaire responses

  30 minutes

Study Arms (1)

Chocolate

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

Other: Chocolate

Interventions

Chocolate OTHER

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

Chocolate

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 50 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Community sample

You may qualify if:

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

You may not qualify if:

• 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

Sponsors & Collaborators

• USDA Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center: lead
• Drexel University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

USDA Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center

Grand Forks, North Dakota, 58203, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

• 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.

  PMID: 30870996 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Overweight; Obesity

Interventions

Chocolate

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Body Weight; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Food; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Physiological Phenomena; Food and Beverages

Study Officials

• Shanon Casperson, PhD

  USDA Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: OTHER
• Sponsor Type: FED
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 30, 2017
• First Posted: December 6, 2017
• Study Start: January 17, 2018
• Primary Completion: March 2, 2018
• Study Completion: March 2, 2018
• Last Updated: December 8, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)