Understanding How Processed Foods Affect the Brain in Teens
This study is looking at how ultra-processed foods (like many packaged snacks and fast foods) might affect the brains of teenagers. Researchers want to see if these foods activate brain areas linked to reward, attention, and memory more than less processed foods. They also want to understand why some individuals might react differently to ultra-processed foods. The study will measure body fat over four years and use special brain scans (fMRI) at the beginning to see how the brain responds to the taste and pictures of ultra-processed foods. This study is for teenagers aged 13 to 15, both male and female, who are within a healthy weight range for their age and can speak English. The current recruitment status is unclear.
- Study design
- This is an observational study, meaning researchers will watch and learn without giving specific treatments. It plans to include 162 participants.
- What's involved
- Not specified in the trial record.
- Compensation
- Not stated in the trial record.
- Follow-up
- Participants will be followed for body fat measurements at baseline, 1-year, 2-year, 3-year, and 4-year follow-up.
AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.
Effects of Processed Foods on Brain Reward Circuitry and Food Cue Learning
At a glance
Conditions
NCT06165952
Where you'd take part
This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.
Stanford University
Stanford, Californiastudy coordinator listed
Recruiting
Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.
Study leadership
- Eric Stice, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Stanford University
Who to contact
Opens a ready-to-send draft in your own email app — review before sending.
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Inclusion
Exclusion
What this trial measures
- Body FatBaseline, 1-year, 2-year, 3-year, 4-year follow-up
Investigators will use air displacement plethysmography (ADP) via the Bod Pod and bioelectrical impedance (BIA) via the SECA medical body composition analyzer (SECA mBCA) to assess % body fat. The investigators will average the values of both measures. Body density is calculated as body mass divided by body volume; body density is used to calculate % body fat. ADP % body fat shows high test-retest reliability (r = .92-.99) and correlates with dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and hydrostatic weighing estimates (r = .98-.99), with ADP estimate of % body fat falling an average of only 1.7% different relative to DEXA estimates. Height will be measured using a direct reading stadiometer. Weight will be assessed using digital scales with participants wearing light clothing without shoes or coats. Body mass index (BMI)(Kg/M2) will be used to confirm participants are initially at a healthy weight (BMI scores between 25th to 75th age- and sex-adjusted BMI percentile).
- Baseline functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) Ultra-Processed Foods Taste, Anticipated Taste, and Picture ParadigmBaseline
Participants will complete four rounds of an adapted version of a milkshake paradigm to assess activation in response to receipt (taste) and anticipated receipt of 1) high-calorie, ultra-processed food taste, 2) low-calorie, ultra-processed food taste, 3) high-calorie minimally-processed food taste, 4) low-calorie, minimally-processed food taste, and 5) a tasteless odorless solution containing the main ionic components of saliva. Participants will be cued with a picture of the specific food and label (high-calorie milkshake, low-calorie milkshake, high-calorie smoothie, low-calorie smoothie) before receipt of the tastes.
- Baseline fMRI Ultra-Processed Food Picture ParadigmBaseline
Participants will complete two rounds of a block version of the food picture paradigm to examine activation in response to 40 high-calorie ultra-processed food pictures, 40 low-calorie ultra-processed food pictures, 40 high-calorie minimally-processed food pictures, 40 low-calorie minimally-processed food pictures, and 40 bottles of water. Fifty percent of each category will be branded foods/bottles to increase ecological validity. Pictures will be matched for complexity, valence and intensity across categories. After the scan, participants will be shown 40 food pictures, including pictures that were and were not used in the paradigm, and will be asked whether they had seen the foods to assess aided recall. Participants will also be asked to rate palatability of 20 food pictures per food category.
- Baseline fMRI Ultra-Processed Food Cue Learning ParadigmBaseline
Participants will complete two rounds of an adapted version of the food reward learning paradigm wherein four arbitrary fractal cues will signal the delivery of either 0.7 ml of an ultra-processed milkshake, a minimally-processed smoothie, a tasteless solution, and no taste. To make learning more challenging, the paradigm includes both paired cue trials in which the taste is delivered as cued and unpaired cue trials in which the taste is not delivered at an 80:20 ratio. There will be one fractal cue that is not consistently paired with a taste. Participants will be asked to respond with a button press as soon as possible to indicate on which side of the fixation cross the stimuli appeared (providing a behavioral measure of reaction time to each cue).
- Baseline Post-fMRI Ad Lib Food IntakeBaseline
Participants will be presented with a 20-item buffet spread that includes ultra-processed foods (high- and low-calorie), and minimally processed foods (high- and low-calorie). Participants first perform a taste test of 1g of each of the foods. They will then complete perceptual hedonic ratings of the pleasantness, sweetness, savoriness, and desire to consume on generalized labeled magnitude scales. After the taste test, participants will be told that they are free to eat as much as they like because the investigators have to discard the food after each participant. Participants will be alone during the 15-min tasting to minimize demand characteristics. Food will be pre- and post-weighed to determine ad lib intake. Total caloric intake will be calculated and translated to % of calorie needs.