How fast brain chemicals like dopamine change when food feels rewarding
Sub-second catecholamine dynamics underlying food reward in humans
['FUNDING_R01'] · VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INST AND ST UNIV · NIH-11293405
This project looks at how very fast bursts of brain chemicals such as dopamine and norepinephrine relate to food reward and eating choices in adults with or at risk for type 2 diabetes.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INST AND ST UNIV (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BLACKSBURG, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11293405 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
You would take part in tasks where you make food choices while researchers record rapid brain signals linked to attention and reward. The team will combine those recordings with measures like hunger, weight, and blood sugar to link brain chemistry to real eating decisions. The work builds on animal findings and aims to translate them to people to explain why rewarding foods can override fullness. Understanding these signals could point toward new ways to help people manage eating and reduce diabetes risk.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults with overweight or obesity, or adults with or at high risk for type 2 diabetes, who can attend study visits and complete brain-recording or brain-imaging sessions and food-choice tasks.
Not a fit: Children, people without weight or diabetes concerns, or anyone unwilling or unable to undergo the brain recordings, imaging, or study visits are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify brain signals that drive overeating and lead to new behavioral or medical approaches to help people control eating and lower diabetes risk.
How similar studies have performed: Animal studies strongly link catecholamine signals to food reward, but direct sub-second measurements in humans are relatively new and less tested.
Where this research is happening
BLACKSBURG, UNITED STATES
- VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INST AND ST UNIV — BLACKSBURG, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: DIFELICEANTONIO, ALEXANDRA GOLD — VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INST AND ST UNIV
- Study coordinator: DIFELICEANTONIO, ALEXANDRA GOLD
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions: Adult-Onset Diabetes Mellitus