Food Preferences and Craniopharyngiomas

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Conditions studied: Craniopharyngioma

In brief

The hypothalamus plays a key role in regulating appetite, satiety, and energy balance. When tumors such as craniopharyngiomas develop in this region, they can disrupt these mechanisms and lead to a form of severe weight gain known as hypothalamic obesity. Several factors play a role in the development of hypothalamic obesity that is often resistant to traditional treatments. Changes in food preferences notably a higher liking for food rich in fat and sugar may be implicated as has been reported in common obesity. The working hypothesis of the study is that hypothalamic lesions may alter food preferences, leading to an increased preference for high-fat and high-sugar foods, and that these changes in dietary choices contribute among other factors to the development of hypothalamic obesity. By providing the first evaluation of food preferences in adults treated surgically for craniopharyngiomas, this study will shed light on the role of hypothalamic lesions in modifying dietary choices. The results may help explain why some patients experience rapid and resistant weight gain, and could guide future strategies to better manage hypothalamic obesity.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07301554

Run by

Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

People needed

346

Starts

2026-02-01

Expected to finish

2028-12-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-02-23

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Common inclusion criteria: complete medical record accessible, capacity to understand and complete self-administered questionnaires, agreement to complete the questionnaires at the time of inclusion, adult subject, not in an emergency situation, provision of non-opposition (opt-out consent documented), affiliation to a social security scheme.
• Inclusion (Phase 1): Adults residing in France, aged 18 - 74 years from the general population.
• Inclusion (Phase 2): Adults aged 18 - 74 years;
• Group 1: patients with craniopharyngioma surgery ≥ 3 months prior to inclusion.
• Group 2: patients with pituitary macroadenoma surgery with documented ≥ 2 anterior pituitary deficits.
• Group 3: Follow-up for an endocrine condition without hypothalamo-hypophyseal involvement, acceptable conditions (thyroid nodule without dysthyroidism, PCOS, peripheral hirsutism, calcium metabolism disorders), no known treatments or prior medical history likely to influence eating behaviour.

You may not qualify if…

• Common exclusion criteria: bariatric surgery, GLP-1 agonist treatment, chronic disease affecting alimentation, pregnancy or breastfeeding, specific diets (gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan...), refusal or opposition to data use, vulnerability status (under guardianship or legal protection) or inability to complete questionnaires or to understand the proposed research or to express a clear opinion regarding non-opposition.
• Additional exclusion criteria:
• phase 1: Type 1 or type 2 diabetes, Active smoking, alcohol misuse, drug use, diagnosed psychiatric disorders or eating behaviour disorders.
• Phase 2:
• Person benefiting from State Medical Aid (AME).
• Control group:
• Hypothalamo-hypophyseal pathology, type 1 or type 2 diabetes, uncontrolled hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, adrenal hormone hypersecretion disorder, history of or ongoing treatment for active cancer.

Where it is running

• Department of endocrinology, diabetology and nutrition, Ambroise Paré Hospital - APHP — Boulogne-Billancourt, France

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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