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Central Nervous Processing of Visual Food Stimuli in Severely Obese Subjects

Central Nervous Processing of Visual Food Stimuli in Severely Obese Subjects and After Roux-en Y Gastric Bypass Surgery - a FMRI Study

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT01493583
Enrollment
38
Registered
2011-12-16
Start date
2009-09-30
Completion date
2012-12-31
Last updated
2025-03-12

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Obesity

Keywords

severely obese, Roux-en Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB), brain activity by fMRI, visual presentation of food and non-food-related pictures

Brief summary

Recent evidence has pointed to distinct alterations of brain functions in obese subjects some of which may even be causative for their obesity. The objective of this study was to examine food and non food related alterations in brain functions after excessive weight loss due to Roux-en Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB), one of the most successful therapeutic approaches for long lasting weight loss. The investigators hypothesized that obese as compared with lean women show an altered activation pattern in the brain areas involved in the homeostatic regulation of eating behavior, i.e. the hypothalamus, in reward-related brain areas, such as the orbital frontal cortex (OFC) and the striatum as well as in prefrontal inhibitory control areas. Furthermore, the investigators hypothesized that women who had undergone a RYGB operation show a brain activity pattern that more closely mimics that of lean than severely obese women. In a supplementary test the investigators will assess gastrointestinal and metabolic response to a standardized meal in order to elucidate putative correlation of these responses with the results of fMRI scannings.

Interventions

None listed

Sponsors

German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
CollaboratorOTHER_GOV
Competence Network for Adiposity funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (FKZ: 01GI0837) and (FKZ: 01GI0849)
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective
CROSS_SECTIONAL

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* women with BMI \> 35kg/m2 * women, who had undergone gastric bypass surgery at least one year ago * lean women

Exclusion criteria

* known psychiatric or neurological diseases * current medication with drug acting on the central nervous system * drugs that are known to affect eating behavior * contraindication for the fMRI scanning, e.g. metal implants or metal containing tattoos

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
brain activitybrain activity was measured at a single time point in all three groups; of note: women after Roux-en Y gastric bypass surgery were measured between 13 and 106 month after surgery.In all women brain activity was assessed by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI, BOLD Method, 1.5 Tesla fMRI Scanner, Siemens, Erlangen, Germany) during the presentation of food and non-food related pictures as well as during state conditions. In all three groups, brain activity was measured at a single time point. Of note, women, who had undergone Roux-en Y gastric bypass surgery were measured between 13 and 106 month after surgery. Brain activity was not measured before surgery in this group.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
gastrointestinal and metabolic responses to standardized mealmeasured at a single time point in all three groups; of note: women after Roux-en Y gastric bypass surgery were measured between 13 and 106 month after surgery at a single time pointThe gastrointestinal and metabolic responses to standardized meal were measured in the morning between 7:30 and 10:30 a.m. gastrointestinal and metabolic response were measured in all women at a single time point. Of note, women, who had undergone Roux-en Y gastric bypass surgery were measured between 13 and 106 month after surgery. Gastrointestinal and metabolic responses were not measured before surgery in this group.

Countries

Switzerland

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026