Brain Mechanisms of Overeating in Children

Summary

Participation Requirements

Description

In aim one, the investigators will use functional magnetic resonance imaging to characterize the brain regions which are activated in response to food portion size and compare these regions between high- and low-risk children. Second, the investigators will determine the relationship between brain r...

In aim one, the investigators will use functional magnetic resonance imaging to characterize the brain regions which are activated in response to food portion size and compare these regions between high- and low-risk children. Second, the investigators will determine the relationship between brain response to visual portion size cues and measured food intake when portions are increased in the laboratory. Third, the investigators will determine the relationship between brain response to large portions and other validated measures of overeating, including satiety responsiveness and the amount of calories children consumed from high calorie snacks when they are not hungry (i.e., eating in the absence of hunger). Fourth, the investigators will conduct follow-up visits one year after baseline to determine the extent to which baseline brain and behavioral responses to portion size predict gains in adiposity assessed by anthropometrics (body weight, height, and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry). Secondary study endpoints include the relationship between child behavioral and brain response to food portion size and physical activity assessed by accelerometry and questionnaires, inhibitory control assessed by a stop signal test, reward-related design making assessed by a computer task, working memory assessed by an N-back task loss of control eating, child sleep, child working memory, child meal microstructure assessed by observational meal coding, parent rated eating behaviors, and parental feeding practices.

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