Full4Health: Understanding Food-gut-brain Axis Across the Lifecourse
Condition: Obesity
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The primary aim of this work is, to 'relate psychological and behavioural parameters of
      hunger/satiety and food preference to gut hormones, neural activation and energy metabolism
      by dietary manipulation, across the human lifespan'.
    

Detailed description: 
      The Full4Health project aims to further understanding of the mechanisms of hunger and
      satiety. The proposal integrates investigation of human volunteers and laboratory rodents
      throughout the life course, applying imaging and other cutting edge technologies to critical
      research questions. Full4Health will combine study of the mechanisms of hunger and satiety
      with intervention studies to validate the effects of the relevant food characteristics on the
      regulation of satiety/hunger. The development of cerebral responses to food through the
      gut-brain axis across lifespan particularly during childhood, adolescence and elderly will be
      studied.
    

Intervention name(s): Breakfast Study; fMRI Study
Intervention type(s): Other; Other
Intervention description(s): Participants (male and female, lean and obese, children, teenagers, adults, and elderly) will take part in 4 morning sessions, consuming a test breakfast milk based beverage and appetite. Biomarkers in blood will be measured and behavioural questionnaires completed. We will also collect a single saliva sample from each participant to examine genetic traits related to appetite, food choice, body weight, and energy expenditure. There will be two milk based beverages, one protein enriched (30% protein from calories) and one normal protein (15% protein). Participants will be offered a morning snack buffet to assess ad libitum energy intake. Phase 1 will also include a subgroup of malnourished male and female elderly participants. However, this group will only complete two morning sessions during which they will consume a low protein and a high protein milk based beverage. Appetite will be recorded and libitum energy intake will be measured. In addition, 24hr energy intake will be recorded.; We will fMRI scan normal weight and overweight subjects of both gender from the four different age groups only: 8-10, 13-17, 24-45 and 65-75 years. Participants will be measured twice, on separate days, either after an overnight fast or after a test meal, fed to satiation (because hunger will modulate the response to food presentation). The participants will conduct a computerised task that will be performed in the scanner to assess hedonic responses to food cues. Physiological biomarkers will be measured during both trials for the assessment of appetite hormone circulation. Saliva samples will be taken for DNA analysis. DNA extraction techniques will be used to examine genetic traits linked to appetite, food choice, body weight, and energy expenditure.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Basic Science
Keywords: appetite; food; gut; brain; satiety; hunger; gut hormones