Recruiting

Implicit Priming

Sponsor:

University of Colorado, Denver

Code:

NCT05107908

Conditions

Overweight and Obesity

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 65

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Active Implicit Priming

Control Implicit Priming

Food Exposure Task

Study Details

Brief summary:

The purpose of this study is to determine how different behavioral interventions designed to alter food perceptions and behaviors affect brain responses to food, eating behaviors, and body weight.

Conditions

Overweight and Obesity

Study ID

NCT05107908

Start date

Nov 12, 2021

Status verified date

Feb, 2026

Completion date

Aug, 2026

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Aug, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 65

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 18-65 years old
  • BMI of 27 or greater

Exclusion Criteria:

  • MRI contraindications (e.g., metal or electronic devices in the body)
  • Pregnancy

Study Design

Enrollment

228 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Other

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Active Implicit Priming

Participants will complete active implicit priming, in which food images are implicitly primed (i.e., below conscious awareness) with images of positive or negative affect. This will be completed on a weekly basis for 12 weeks, for approximately 10 minutes each time.

placebo comparator: Control Implicit Priming

Participants will complete control implicit priming, which matches the active intervention, but with neutral stimuli as primes. This will be completed on a weekly basis for 12 weeks, for approximately 10 minutes each time.

active comparator: Food Exposure Task

Participants will complete a Food Exposure Task, in which they will be asked to smell, feel, lick, and imagine eating food items, but without actually eating them. This will be completed on a weekly basis for 12 weeks, for approximately 10-30 minutes each time.

Interventions

Active Implicit Priming

Approximately 10-minute behavioral intervention

Control Implicit Priming

Approximately 10-minute behavioral intervention

Food Exposure Task

Approximately 10-30 minute behavioral intervention

Primary outcome measure

  • Percent Change in Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) Response to Visual Food Cues as Measured by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging [ Time Frame: Baseline, 12 weeks ]
  • Change in Food Image Ratings [ Time Frame: Baseline, 12 weeks ]
  • Change in Food Intake [ Time Frame: Baseline, 12 weeks ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Christina Erpelding, BS

303-724-8502christina.erpelding@cuanschutz.edu

Kristina Legget, PhD

303-724-5809kristina.legget@cuanschutz.edu

Locations

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Recruiting

Aurora, Colorado, United States, 80045

Contacts

Christina Erpelding, BS

303-724-8502christina.erpelding@cuanschutz.edu

Kristina Legget, PhD

303-724-5809kristina.legget@cuanschutz.edu

Principal Investigator:

Jason Tregellas, PhD

More Information

Sponsor

University of Colorado, Denver

Last update posted

Feb 12, 2026

Last verified

Feb, 2026

Keywords

  • Eating
  • Overweight
  • Obesity
  • Food
  • Weight Loss
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Neuroimaging
  • Brain
  • Body Weight

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Colorado, Denver on 2026-02-12.