TASTER Study (Version 1)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Responses to appetite and taste in the brain circuits that control eating behaviour: An fMRI study evaluating brain structure, connectivity and responses to taste across different body weight categories and in response to weight loss.
IRAS ID
238390
Contact name
Rachel Batterham
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2018/05/101, Data Protection Registration
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 4 months, 1 days
Research summary
Obesity, defined as having an unhealthy amount of body fat, is one of the major health challenges of our time. Obesity rates are rising, therefore, an improved understanding of how body weight is controlled is necessary to develop new, effective treatments. Research has shown that patients with obesity have different brain responses to food cues compared to normal weight people. Changes in the structure and connections between parts of the brain that control eating occur in obesity, suggesting that these changes may influence eating behaviour and predispose to overeating. Bariatric (weight loss) surgery is currently the most effective treatment available, leading to significant and sustained weight loss and improvement in obesity-related conditions, such as type 2 diabetes. Following bariatric surgery, patients consume fewer calories due to reduced appetite, taste changes and new food preferences. Importantly, patients who experience changes in appetite and taste loose more weight, suggesting these contribute to reducing calorie intake. Moreover, recent data show that obesity-associated changes within the brain can be reversed following bariatric surgery. However, the role of weight loss in this process remains unknown.
This study aims to evaluate the effect of sleeve gastrectomy (SG), the most common bariatric surgical procedure, on brain structure and the brain networks that control appetite and taste. Participants will undergo brain functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), while tasting liquid foods during scanning: before and after losing weight. Blood and saliva samples will be collected to measure levels of appetite-controlling hormones. Participants will be asked to rate their appetite and how much they like the foods they taste. A group of patients with severe obesity losing weight through a lifestyle intervention and a group of normal weight participants will undergo the same assessments, in order to compare the effects of SG, a lifestyle intervention and responses in normal weight.REC name
London - West London & GTAC Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/1048
Date of REC Opinion
10 Aug 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion