Memory-Updating Technique to Reduce Food Craving and High Calorie Food Intake Among Individuals With Overweight/Obesity

Summary

This study will evaluate the effects of retrieval-extinction (R-E) training on responding to high calorie foods including self-report craving, physiological responding, and high calorie food intake in adults with overweight/obesity. R-E training aims to update the memories that associate cues (i.e., high calorie food) with reward (i.e., consumption). R-E training involves "retrieving" these cue-reward associative memories through brief presentation of relevant cues, resulting in instability of the memories and providing an opportunity to be updated via reconsolidation. Presenting relevant cues while not allowing consumption (i.e., extinction training) during reconsolidation can modify the unstable cue-reward memories, resulting in lasting reductions of craving and intake. This study will be the first to test the effects of R-E training on craving for and intake of high calorie foods in humans. To examine the effects of R-E training on food craving, physiological response (heart rate, skin conductance, salivation), and food intake, 150 adults with overweight/obesity will complete baseline food cue-reactivity and intake tasks in the lab. Participants will be randomized to observe high calorie food cues (i.e., "retrieval" of food cue-reward memories; R-E training group) or non-food cues (i.e., no retrieval of food cue-reward memories; extinction control group) and engage in 60 min of extinction training for high calorie foods. R-E/extinction control training will occur on two consecutive days and four follow-up food cue-reactivity sessions through 3 months. Weight will be assessed at each session and in-lab food intake at 1- and 3-months. Recent food/drink intake will also be assessed at each session. Some participants (n=75) will complete a pilot portion of the study involving real-world data collection of naturally-occurring food cues, craving, and food intake via smartphone. It is hypothesized that: (1) R-E training (vs. extinction control) will decrease high calorie food cue-reactivity (self-report craving, heart rate, skin conductance, salivation) and intake assessed in the lab, as well as self-report craving and food intake assessed in the real world; and (2) decreased high calorie food cue-reactivity will be a mechanism through which R-E training reduces high calorie food intake at follow-up. The Principal Investigator will explore associations between lab and real-world cue-elicited craving and food intake, and the effect of R-E training on weight.

Conditions

• Overweight
• Obesity
• Craving
• Eating Behavior

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Retrieval-extinction (R-E) Training

The retrieval-extinction (R-E) training intervention will occur on two consecutive days and consist of (a) retrieval of high calorie food cue-reward associative memories and (b) 60-min extinction training for high calorie foods. During the 5-min of retrieval, participants will observe 30 high calorie food images (e.g., cakes, cookies, muffins, hamburgers, french fries, potato chips, pizza). Images will be presented in E-Prime for 8-s each (2-s delay between images). After the 5-min of retrieval and a 10-min rest period, participants will engage in 60-min of extinction training for high calorie foods consisting of 12, 5-min high calorie food cue sequences: 6 image sequences and 6 real food sequences. The real foods will consist of a small portion of high calorie snack foods such as a single M\&M or potato chip.

BEHAVIORAL

Extinction Training

The extinction control group will engage in two consecutive days of intervention consisting of (a) retrieval of memories not associated with high calorie foods and (b) 60-min extinction training for high calorie foods. During the 5-min of retrieval, participants will observe 30 non-food-related neutral images (e.g., office supplies, tools). Images will be presented in E-Prime for 8-s each (2-s delay between images). After the 5-min of retrieval and a 10-min rest period, participants will engage in 60-min of extinction training for high calorie foods consisting of 12, 5-min high calorie food cue sequences: 6 image sequences and 6 real food sequences. The real foods will consist of a small portion of high calorie snack foods such as a single M\&M or potato chip. The 60-min extinction training is the same as the extinction training received by participants in the R-E training intervention.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

  collaborator NIH

• University of Pittsburgh

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Lisa J Germeroth, PhD · University of Pittsburgh

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

59 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-10-02

Primary Completion

2020-10-02

Completion

2020-10-02

Countries

• United States

Study Locations