The purpose of this study is to test how the brain responds when individuals eat enjoyable foods such as chocolate. Eating certain foods can make one want to keep eating even when feeling full, caused by dopamine in the brain. The researchers believe this dopamine response can be measured by looking at the individual's eye.
With obesity at an all-time high, understanding eating behavior beyond physical need is a priority. Food reinforcement is driven by central dopamine activity. However, objective measurement of brain dopamine-related behavioral events is hindered by the lack of non-invasive, accessible techniques that are amenable to testing in a "naturalistic" environment. The goal of this project is to develop a non-invasive, accessible methodology to measure dopaminergic responses to food in a natural setting. This research will use a novel, hand-held electroretinograph (ERG) that does not require eye dilation and uses a skin electrode to measure retinal dopamine activity. Previous work establishes that retinal dopamine activity can be used as a proxy for central dopamine function. The ability to assess both subjective behavioral variables and central dopaminergic responses simultaneously will provide an ideal approach for innovative studies of the control of eating behavior.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
20
Participants will be asked to taste commercially available chocolate varying in sugar, fat and percent cocoa (milk, 70%, 85% and 90% cocoa).
USDA Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center
Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States
Retinal dopamine response to oral stimuli
Electroretinograph beta wave amplitude will increase in response to increases in the amount of sugar in the chocolate
Time frame: 30 minutes
Psychoactive Effects Questionnaire in response to oral stimuli
The number of positive responses on the Psychoactive Effects Questionnaire will increase in response to increases in the sugar content of the chocolate
Time frame: 30 minutes
Scores on the Binge Eating Scale will correlate with the retinal dopamine and Psychoactive Effect Questionnaire responses
Individual changes in the retinal dopamine response and the number of positive responses on the Psychoactive Effects Questionnaire will correlate with individual scores on the Binge Eating Scale
Time frame: 30 minutes
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