Self-Control
Conditions
Brief summary
Self-control failures are a universal challenge for healthy and clinical populations. Recent work suggests these failures may arise from excessive cognitive costs associated with exercising self-control, yet the mechanisms underlying these costs are unknown. To address this, the investigators will use a validated decision-making task that measures how much individuals will pay (from a study endowment) to restrict access to tempting rewards that may lead to self-control failures. The investigators will examine these costs to identify their cognitive, neural and affective mechanisms. First, the investigators will identify the cognitive and computational mechanism that gives rise to self-control costs. Second, the investigators will characterize the neural correlates of self-control costs and identify neural mediators and connectivity patterns stemming from these costs. Finally, the investigators will examine how different classes of stressors (physical, social, or lifetime stress) shape the behavioral and neural representations of self-control costs.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALCold-Pressor Task (CPT)
CPT is a physiological stress task in which participants continuously submerge their hand and forearm in ice-water (0-4°C) for 3 minutes.
BEHAVIORALTrier Social Stress Test (TSST)
The TSST is a psychosocial stressor that requires participants perform a short speech and solve math problems in front of 2 evaluative judges.
BEHAVIORALModified Non-Stress CPT
The modified non-stress CPT involves participants continuously submerging their hand and forearm in warm water for 3 minutes.
BEHAVIORALModified Non-Stress TSST
For the modified non-stress TSST, participants are asked to prepare for a speech that they will practice alone to themselves and complete math problems alone on a piece of scrap paper.
DEVICEFunctional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
Participants will complete the self-control task in the fMRI scanner.
Sponsors
NYU Langone Health
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* 18-70 years of age, able to speak, read, and write fluently in English * be willing and able to follow study procedures and provide informed consent. * Must additionally confirm they are on a diet to maintain/lose weight and are implementing/maintaining dietary changes.
Exclusion criteria
* History of or medication for neurologic or psychiatric disease * High-blood pressure or heart condition * Diabetes, food allergies, metabolic disorders or history of eating disorder * Use of corticosteroids or beta-blockers * Metallic implants or devices contraindicating magnetic resonance imaging. * Pregnancy is considered an
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Average Self-Control Cost | Day 1 | The self-control cost is the amount that a participant would be willing to pay to avoid temptation. This will be tested in a self-control task in which participants are shown an images of snack food and report how much they would be willing to avoid the different food items. |
| Change in fMRI BOLD Signal During Self-Control Decisions | Day 1 (Up to 1.5 Hours) | Functional MRI (fMRI) data will be analyzed to measure changes in blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal in the Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex (dACC), Frontopolar Cortex (FPC) and Orbitofrontal Cortex (OFC) regions of interest as participants make self-control cost decisions during the self-control activity. |
Countries
United States
Contacts
CONTACTCandace Raio
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORCandace Raio
NYU Langone Health
Outcome results
None listed