Medical Information Only. Always consult your healthcare provider before enrolling in any clinical trial.
Neural and Metabolic Factors in Carbohydrate Reward
NCT06053294 · View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Study Summary
Dietary factors contributed to nearly 50% of all cardiometabolic deaths in the US in 2012, making it one of the leading causes of preventable death in the US, second only to tobacco use. Human diets and food choices can't help but be influenced by the ubiquitous availability of processed foods of high-energy density and low nutrient content, consumption of which can lead to obesity, type II diabetes, heart disease, and other types of metabolic dysfunction. Surprisingly, food reinforcement does not rely on perceived energy density. Rather food reinforcement is associated with actual energy density and therefore, on an implicit knowledge of caloric content. That implicit knowledge must have a neural signature and a mechanism by which the gut communicates nutritive value to the brain. There is evidence, at least for fat and carbohydrates, that these pathways are separable, but terminate in a common neural structure, the dorsal striatum or caudate. This could be one mechanism by which modern processed foods high in both fat and carbohydrate are so sought after and readily consumed, In fact, when experimentally tested, fat and carbohydrate combinations were more reinforcing calorie for calorie than fat or carbohydrates alone and the level of reinforcement correlated with activity in reward- related brain areas. Beyond simple reinforcing value, it is known from the literature on drugs of abuse that the faster a drug is arrives at the brain, the higher it's abuse potential, however, little is known about how the kinetics of nutrient excursion influence food preference, choice, and brain activity. This project aims to test this specifically for carbohydrate reward.
Conditions Studied
Interventions
- OTHER CS- Beverage
- OTHER CS+Fast
- OTHER CS+Slow
Study Locations (1)
Virginia
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC — Roanoke
Trial Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Enrollment Target | 64 participants |
| Start Date | 2023-05-01 |
| Est. Completion | 2029-05-01 |
| Phase | NA |
Interested in This Trial?
Always speak with your doctor before enrolling in a clinical trial.
Full Details on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗What the Registry Record Tells You About NCT06053294
The ClinicalTrials.gov registry entry for NCT06053294 describes a study currently listed as recruiting. It is categorized as NA, which is the standard way researchers label where a study sits along the investigational pathway from early safety work through later efficacy and post-marketing evaluation. The registered enrollment target is 64 participants, a figure that helps gauge the scale of data the investigators plan to collect. The listed sponsor is Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, which has 93 total studies on file at ClinicalTrials.gov, and sponsors are the parties responsible for study design, oversight, and regulatory filings.
The record links to 1 condition, with Carbohydrate Metabolism appearing as the primary indexed condition, and to 3 interventions — of which CS- Beverage is the first listed. Interventions can include drugs, devices, procedures, behavioral programs, or observational arms, and each is tracked as a separate registry field so that downstream queries can filter accurately. When a trial lists multiple interventions, it usually reflects a multi-arm design or a comparison protocol rather than a single treatment being tested in isolation. The brief summary published in the registry is the clearest source of protocol intent and should be read before drawing conclusions from any sidebar tags.
Geographic footprint matters for practical reasons: NCT06053294 reports 1 study location spanning 1 distinct geographic area — top geographies include Virginia. A larger site network tends to correlate with broader recruitment capacity, but it does not imply anything about study quality, and site-level enrollment status can diverge from the overall registry status shown above. Every data point on this page comes from the public ClinicalTrials.gov dataset and is reproduced here for reference only; it is not a medical recommendation, an endorsement of the sponsor, or an invitation to enroll. Verify current status, eligibility criteria, and contact details directly at ClinicalTrials.gov, and discuss any participation decision with your own healthcare provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is clinical trial NCT06053294 about?
NCT06053294 is a clinical study titled "Neural and Metabolic Factors in Carbohydrate Reward". Dietary factors contributed to nearly 50% of all cardiometabolic deaths in the US in 2012, making it one of the leading causes of preventable death in the US, second only to tobacco use. Human diets and food choices can't help but be influenced by the ubiquitous availability of processed foods of hi...
What is the current status of trial NCT06053294?
This trial is currently recruiting. It is a NA study. The enrollment target is 64 participants. The study started on 2023-05-01. Estimated completion is 2029-05-01.
What conditions does trial NCT06053294 study?
This clinical trial studies the following conditions: Carbohydrate Metabolism. These conditions were identified from the trial registry and reflect the primary focus areas of the research.
What interventions are being tested in trial NCT06053294?
The interventions under investigation include: CS- Beverage (OTHER), CS+Fast (OTHER), CS+Slow (OTHER). Each intervention is being evaluated for safety and efficacy as part of this clinical study.
Who is sponsoring clinical trial NCT06053294?
This trial is sponsored by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, which has 93 total clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. The sponsor is responsible for the study's design, funding, and regulatory compliance.
Where is trial NCT06053294 being conducted?
This trial has 1 study location across Virginia. Contact the study sites directly through ClinicalTrials.gov for enrollment availability.
Learn More About Clinical Trials
How Clinical Trials Work
Understand phases 1-4, trial design, randomization, and the informed consent process.
Patient Rights in Clinical Trials
Your rights as a participant: consent, withdrawal, privacy, and who to contact.
Finding the Right Clinical Trial
A practical guide to searching trials, understanding eligibility, and evaluating options.
All Guides
Browse our complete library of clinical trial educational resources.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.