Clinical trial NCT03664726: MINDD 3: Prediabetes and Delay Discounting
Official title: Delay Discounting as a Target for Self-Regulation in Prediabetes
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: PreDiabetes
Keywords: Delay Discounting, Episodic Future Thinking
Lead sponsor: State University of New York at Buffalo
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
First posted: 2018-09-10
Enrollment: 78
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: FACTORIAL
Intervention model description: Participants will be assigned to complete an episodic future or recent thinking task and asked to describe positive events for different time periods.
Primary purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE

Brief summary: The proposed research will translate research on delay discounting to the prevention of Type 2 diabetes (T2D) in persons with prediabetes. In this study, the investigators will verify target engagement (DD) by examining if EFT improves DD under conditions shown to increase discounting of the future. Prediabetics will be randomized to receive EFT/ERT in a factorial design when experiencing simulated poverty/neutral conditions, respectively. The effects will be measured on DD. The investigators predict that poverty conditions will increase discounting of the future for ERT subjects, but those receiving EFT will show levels of DD similar to levels observed for participants in the wealth condition.

Detailed description: The prevention of Type 2 diabetes in an obese person with prediabetes requires developing a healthier lifestyle. The rational approach for someone with prediabetes would be to eat healthier, be more active, lose weight, and manage their comorbidities. However, preliminary research suggests that individuals with Type 2 diabetes discount the future and engage in behaviors that maximize current pleasure and short-term gain; thus, daily choices needed to improve future health are rare in this population. Delay discounting (DD) describes the choice of smaller immediate versus larger delayed rewards. This behavioral process is related to a wide variety of health choices, ranging from preventive health to behavioral and medical regimen adherence, including regimens used for Type 2 diabetes. The investigators believe that DD provides a target for one type of self-regulation that can improve a wide variety of health behaviors and medical adherence.

Research from our laboratories has shown that episodic future thinking (EFT), a form of prospection which reduces the bias towards immediate gratification, activates brain regions involved in planning and prospection such that future rewards have increased value and the extent of delay discounting is reduced. Cueing individuals to think about future events during inter-temporal decision-making reduces the rate of DD, eating in and outside of the laboratory, and smoking behavior. The overarching goal of this research is to use an experimental medicine approach to translate basic research on DD and EFT into clinical interventions to prevent the transition from prediabetes to a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Prediabetes: Participants must have a diagnosis of prediabetes within the last 2 years or meet criteria for prediabetes. The American Diabetes Association guidelines defines prediabetes as Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) 100-125 mg/dl, 2h glucose 140-199 mg/dl after Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT), or hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) approximately 5.7-6.4%.
* Comorbidities: Participants must have a history of comorbid diagnosis such as hypertension and/or hyperlipidemia to participate in the behavioral portion of this study. Hypertension is defined as blood pressure greater than 140/90 on two separate occasions at least one week apart, or medical management for hypertension (i.e. medications including Lisinopril and Diovan). Dyslipidemia is defined by LDL greater than 130 mg/dl, or non-fasting non HDL cholesterol ≥160mg/dL or medical management for dyslipidemia (medications including Niacin, Lovastatin).

Exclusion Criteria:

* Type 2 Diabetes: Individuals will be excluded if they have Type 2 Diabetes.
* Pregnancy: Women who are pregnant or lactating will be excluded from participation.
* Conditions that affect adherence: Participants should not have a condition that would limit participation which include medical conditions that would affect individuals' ability to use the computer for prolonged period of time; leave the individual unable to ambulate; or current diagnoses of an eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia,), unmanaged psychiatric disorder (depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia), or an intellectual impairment that would impact study adherence.
* Abnormal glucose related to medications: Participants should not be taking medications that would limit participation and cause abnormal glucose levels (e.g. atypical antipsychotic medications or glucocorticoids) including diabetic drugs such as Metformin.
* Unwilling or unable to eat study food: Participants who are unwilling or not able to eat the study food (a PowerBar) will not be able to take part in this study.

Prior participation in similar studies: Individuals who have recently participated in a laboratory study using similar methods may also be excluded.

* Do not meet discounting criteria: Individuals who do not meet discounting criteria (e.g. nonsystematic discounting) on a delay discounting task may be excluded.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in Delay Discounting
timeFrame: Delay Discounting will be measured at baseline (session 1) and after receiving EFT/ERT and Scarcity/Narrative (within about 2 weeks)
measure: Reinforcing Value of Food
timeFrame: Session 2
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change in Working Memory Span
timeFrame: Working Memory will be measured at baseline (session 1) and after receiving EFT/ERT Scarcity/Neutral intervention (up to 2 weeks post-baseline)
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Buffalo
country: United States
facility: University at Buffalo, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Behavioral Medicine
state: New York
city: Roanoke
country: United States
facility: Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Virginia Tech Carilion
state: Virginia
Study officials:
affiliation: SUNY University at Buffalo
name: Leonard H Epstein
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
name: Warren K Bickel
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Stein JS, Craft WH, Paluch RA, Gatchalian KM, Greenawald MH, Quattrin T, Mastrandrea LD, Epstein LH, Bickel WK. Bleak present, bright future: II. Combined effects of episodic future thinking and scarcity on delay discounting in adults at risk for type 2 diabetes. J Behav Med. 2021 Apr;44(2):222-230. doi: 10.1007/s10865-020-00178-7. Epub 2020 Sep 28.
citation: Bickel WK, Stein JS, Paluch RA, Mellis AM, Athamneh LN, Quattrin T, Greenawald MH, Bree KA, Gatchalian KM, Mastrandrea LD, Epstein LH. Does Episodic Future Thinking Repair Immediacy Bias at Home and in the Laboratory in Patients With Prediabetes? Psychosom Med. 2020 Sep;82(7):699-707. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000841.