Insulin Resistance and Reward Signaling in Obesity

Completed · Phase 1

Conditions studied: Obesity

In brief

Obesity is a common problem in the Veteran population as at least 1 in 3 Veterans have obesity. When people with obesity taste food they have less response in areas of the brain that sense pleasure (reward). Decreased pleasure response to food predicts future weight gain. It is not known if this poor brain response is reversible or why obese people's brains respond this way. Insulin in the brain regulates the brain's sensing of pleasure. As people gain weight the function of insulin becomes impaired. The investigators will study if impaired function of insulin is related to a lessened brain response to food and if this brain response predicts voluntary intake of food and response to a low-calorie diet. The investigators will also study if improving the function of insulin with weight loss improves the brain response. These studies will improve the understanding as to why weight loss is difficult and inform us if improving insulin signaling is a potential way to treat obesity.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT02241603

Run by

VA Office of Research and Development

People needed

37

Starts

2014-11-17

Expected to finish

2020-07-06

Last updated by the study team

2026-05-12

Who can join

Age: 25 and older, up to 60. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Age 25-60yoa, inclusive.
• BMI 30.0 and 45.0 kg/m2, inclusive.
• Normal visual acuity with correction.
• Able to travel regularly to the St. Louis VA and Washington University for research visits.
• Completed signed informed consent form.

You may not qualify if…

• Current or history of significant psychiatric disease, including Binge Eating Disorder (BED).
• Current or history of significant substance abuse or extended use of tobacco.
• Contraindications for MRI (e.g., pregnancy, claustrophobia, pacemaker, circumference > 54 inches, weight > 400 lbs, etc.);
• Significant cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, liver, neurologic, or metabolic disease.
• Diabetes mellitus.
• Significant anemia.
• Treatment with a medication the affects insulin sensitivity.
• Treatment with centrally acting medications.
• Frequent shift work.
• Significant in-mobility or unable to lay on back still for 1 hour.
• History of bariatric surgery.
• Food allergies/ intolerance that would prevent completing study.
• Symptoms concerning for untreated active mental health disease

Where it is running

• St. Louis VA Medical Center John Cochran Division, St. Louis, MO — St Louis, Missouri, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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