Food Addiction TendencyNCT07732426
Effects of Semaglutide on Brain Dopamine Responses to Food Cues in Adults With Obesity and Food Addiction Tendencies
A study testing Semaglutide in people with Food Addiction Tendency and Obesity, run by Seoul National University Hospital at 1 site in South Korea.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate how semaglutide affects the way the brain responds to food in adults with obesity and food addiction tendencies. The main goals of this study are: To see if semaglutide changes dopamine-related activity in the brain during the look, smell, and drink period. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 19 to 50 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Food Addiction Tendency, Obesity, Overweight
- What is being tested?
- Semaglutide
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSouth Korea
- Study dates
- 15 Jul 2026to 30 Jun 2028
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 19 to 50 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Participants aged between 19 and 50 years.
- Eligible for treatment with semaglutide, defined as either:
- Initial body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or higher; or
- Initial BMI of 27 kg/m2 to less than 30 kg/m2 with at least one weight-related comorbidity, such as dysglycemia, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, or cardiovascular disease.
- Mild or greater food addiction tendency, defined as a Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) score of 3 or higher.
- Able to understand the study tasks and provide appropriate responses.
Who cannot join
- Use of medications that may affect body weight or dopaminergic medications within the past 2 months.
- Known hypersensitivity to semaglutide.
- Pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant.
- Severe renal impairment, hepatic impairment, heart failure, acute pancreatitis, or thyroid disease.
- Any medical condition, disease, or medical history that, in the investigator's judgment, would make it difficult for the participant to complete the study or would interfere with interpretation of the study results.
- Allergy to ingredients in chocolate milk, including milk or soy, or to ingredients that may be present through cross-contamination, including egg, buckwheat, peanut, wheat, peach, tomato, walnut, pork, or beef.
- Participants with both no self-reported preference for chocolate milk and a chocolate milk preference score of less than 5 on a 10-point visual analog scale (VAS).
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
South Korea1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Seoul National University Hospital
Seoul
Taesung Lee, MD, +821097262123, nova2123@snu.ac.kr
About this study
Official title: A Prospective Clinical Study to Investigate Dopamine Level Changes in the Brain at Food Cognition by GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate how semaglutide affects the way the brain responds to food in adults with obesity and food addiction tendencies.
The main goals of this study are:
Read more
- To see if semaglutide changes dopamine-related activity in the brain during the look, smell, and drink period.
- To see if semaglutide changes dopamine-related brain signals during the post-ingestive period.
- To see if semaglutide changes psychological survey results and cognitive task results.
Adults with obesity and food addiction tendencies will join this study. Each participant will receive semaglutide treatment for 8 weeks. Each participant will have two brain scans using [11C]raclopride PET.
During each PET scan, participants will:
- View food images.
- Receive chocolate milk through a tube while lying in the scanner.
- Use a tablet during the scan to rate their hunger, desire for the chocolate milk drink, and liking of the drink.
Read the detailed description
- Background and Rationale GLP-1 receptor agonists, including semaglutide, are effective treatments for obesity. However, the brain mechanisms underlying their effects on appetite, food reward, and eating behavior remain incompletely understood. Food-related visual and olfactory cues may engage dopamine-mediated reward pathways during the pre-ingestive phase, and post-ingestive signals may further influence dopamine signaling after food intake. This study will use [11C]raclopride positron emission tomography (PET) to assess dopamine-related binding measures in the human brain. The study will examine whether semaglutide changes dopamine-related brain responses during food cue and drink exposure and during the post-ingestive period.
- Study Protocol and Procedures
This is a prospective clinical trial using a 2-by-2 crossover design. Participants will receive once-weekly semaglutide treatment for 8 weeks and will undergo two [11C]raclopride PET scans. The scans will be performed under conditions with and without the effect of semaglutide, depending on group assignment.
Before each PET imaging session, participants will complete baseline assessments, including body measurements, psychological surveys, and computer-based cognitive tasks. [11C]raclopride will then be administered according to the PET protocol. Participants will undergo brain PET imaging while lying in the scanner.
During the imaging session, participants will complete a standardized chocolate milk drink task. This task includes a baseline period, exposure to chocolate milk images, smelling the chocolate milk drink, and the post-ingestive stage using the chocolate milk drink delivered through a tube. During the scan, participants will use a tablet to rate hunger, desire for the chocolate milk drink, and liking of the drink at set time points.
The same PET task procedures will be used across study conditions. This will allow researchers to compare dopamine-related PET measures, psychological survey results, and cognitive task results between conditions with and without the effect of semaglutide.
- Conditions
- Food Addiction Tendency, Obesity, Overweight
- Being tested
- Semaglutide
- Medical subject headings
- Obesity, Overweight
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
SemaglutideDrug
Also called Wegovy
Participants receive an 8-week subcutaneous semaglutide dose-escalation treatment using Wegovy: 0.25 mg once weekly for the first 4 weeks, followed by 0.5 mg once weekly for the next 4 weeks.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Off Drug then On Drug | Experimental | Participants undergo a baseline [11C]raclopride PET scan before semaglutide treatment. They then receive an 8-week semaglutide dose-escalation treatment, followed by a second [¹¹C]raclopride PET scan at the end of treatment. Receives: Drug: Semaglutide |
| On Drug then Off Drug | Experimental | Participants first receive an 8-week semaglutide dose-escalation treatment and undergo a [¹¹C]raclopride PET scan at the end of treatment. After an 8-week washout period, they undergo a second [¹¹C]raclopride PET scan. Receives: Drug: Semaglutide |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Dopamine Binding Potential During the Look, Smell, and Drink Period
Dopamine D2/D3 receptor binding potential is measured using [11C]raclopride PET during the food cue and drink period. The outcome is the within-participant difference in binding potential between the on-drug and off-drug/post-washout conditions.
Measured: Group A: At Baseline (Day 0) and 8 weeks (±3 days) after starting semaglutide. Group B: At 8 weeks (±3 days) after starting semaglutide and 8 weeks after semaglutide discontinuation.
Secondary outcomes (4)
Change in Dopamine Binding Potential During the Post-Ingestive Period
Dopamine D2/D3 receptor binding potential is measured using [11C]raclopride PET during the post-ingestive period after the drink. The outcome is the within-participant difference in binding potential between the on-drug and off-drug/post-washout conditions.
Measured: Group A: At Baseline (Day 0) and 8 weeks (±3 days) after starting semaglutide. Group B: At 8 weeks (±3 days) after starting semaglutide and 8 weeks after semaglutide discontinuation.
State Food Craving Score
State food craving is assessed using the General Food Cravings Questionnaire-State (G-FCQ-S). Each of the 15 items is evaluated on a 0 to 100 scale, where higher scores indicate greater intensity of the felt state.
Measured: Immediately before and after PET imaging. Group A: At Baseline (Day 0) and 8 weeks (±3 days) after starting semaglutide. Group B: At 8 weeks (±3 days) after starting semaglutide and 8 weeks after semaglutide discontinuation.
Chocolate Milk Liking, Chocolate Milk Wanting, and Fullness Ratings (VAS-100)
Liking and wanting for the chocolate milk stimulus, as well as general fullness, are assessed repeatedly during PET imaging using 0-to-100 visual analogue scale ratings. For liking and wanting, higher scores indicate greater liking of or desire for the chocolate milk stimulus. For fullness, higher scores indicate greater subjective fullness. Ratings are collected at 15 predefined time points during each PET scan.
Measured: During each 92-minute PET scan, at 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 51, 54, 57, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, and 90 minutes.
Food-Specific Attentional Bias
Food-specific attentional bias is assessed using a computer-based dot-probe task with webcam-based eye tracking. Bias is calculated from reaction time differences between probes replacing food versus neutral images, and from gaze-based measures including dwell time toward food versus neutral images and first saccade direction. Higher values indicate greater attentional bias toward food stimuli.
Measured: Before PET imaging. Group A: At Baseline (Day 0) and 8 weeks (±3 days) after starting semaglutide. Group B: At 8 weeks (±3 days) after starting semaglutide and 8 weeks after semaglutide discontinuation.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted28 Jul 2026
- Study start15 Jul 2026
- Primary completion29 Feb 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Jun 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Food Addiction TendencyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Seoul National University HospitalThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Seoul National University Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Hyung Jin Choi, Seoul National University Hospital
- Investigators
- Hyung Jin Choi, MD, PhD, Principal investigator, Seoul National University College of Medicine
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07732426
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2501-006-1602
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 16 Jul 2026
- Last updated
- 28 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: IPD will not be shared publicly because the current protocol does not include a plan for public sharing of individual participant data. Participant data will be managed in accordance with the approved protocol and institutional privacy protection requirements.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 28 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Prospective Clinical Study to Investigate Dopamine Level Changes in the Brain at Food Cognition by GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07732426
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2501-006-1602
- Conditions
- Food Addiction Tendency, Obesity, Overweight
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Seoul National University HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 15 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 29 Feb 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Jun 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 28 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate how semaglutide affects the way the brain responds to food in adults with obesity and food addiction tendencies.
The main goals of this study are:
- To see if semaglutide changes dopamine-related activity in the brain during the look, smell, and drink period.
- To see if semaglutide changes dopamine-related brain signals during the post-ingestive period.
- To see if semaglutide changes psychological survey results and cognitive task results.
Adults with obesity and food addiction tendencies will join this study. Each participant will receive semaglutide treatment for 8 weeks. Each participant will have two brain scans using [11C]raclopride PET.
During each PET scan, participants will:
- View food images.
- Receive chocolate milk through a tube while lying in the scanner.
- Use a tablet during the scan to rate their hunger, desire for the chocolate milk drink, and liking of the drink.
Detailed description
- Background and Rationale GLP-1 receptor agonists, including semaglutide, are effective treatments for obesity. However, the brain mechanisms underlying their effects on appetite, food reward, and eating behavior remain incompletely understood. Food-related visual and olfactory cues may engage dopamine-mediated reward pathways during the pre-ingestive phase, and post-ingestive signals may further influence dopamine signaling after food intake. This study will use [11C]raclopride positron emission tomography (PET) to assess dopamine-related binding measures in the human brain. The study will examine whether semaglutide changes dopamine-related brain responses during food cue and drink exposure and during the post-ingestive period.
- Study Protocol and Procedures
This is a prospective clinical trial using a 2-by-2 crossover design. Participants will receive once-weekly semaglutide treatment for 8 weeks and will undergo two [11C]raclopride PET scans. The scans will be performed under conditions with and without the effect of semaglutide, depending on group assignment.
Before each PET imaging session, participants will complete baseline assessments, including body measurements, psychological surveys, and computer-based cognitive tasks. [11C]raclopride will then be administered according to the PET protocol. Participants will undergo brain PET imaging while lying in the scanner.
During the imaging session, participants will complete a standardized chocolate milk drink task. This task includes a baseline period, exposure to chocolate milk images, smelling the chocolate milk drink, and the post-ingestive stage using the chocolate milk drink delivered through a tube. During the scan, participants will use a tablet to rate hunger, desire for the chocolate milk drink, and liking of the drink at set time points.
The same PET task procedures will be used across study conditions. This will allow researchers to compare dopamine-related PET measures, psychological survey results, and cognitive task results between conditions with and without the effect of semaglutide.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Off Drug then On Drug | Experimental | Drug: SemaglutideParticipants undergo a baseline [11C]raclopride PET scan before semaglutide treatment. They then receive an 8-week semaglutide dose-escalation treatment, followed by a second [¹¹C]raclopride PET scan at the end of treatment. |
| On Drug then Off Drug | Experimental | Drug: SemaglutideParticipants first receive an 8-week semaglutide dose-escalation treatment and undergo a [¹¹C]raclopride PET scan at the end of treatment. After an 8-week washout period, they undergo a second [¹¹C]raclopride PET scan. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 19 to 50 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Participants aged between 19 and 50 years.
- Eligible for treatment with semaglutide, defined as either:
- Initial body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or higher; or
- Initial BMI of 27 kg/m2 to less than 30 kg/m2 with at least one weight-related comorbidity, such as dysglycemia, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, or cardiovascular disease.
- Mild or greater food addiction tendency, defined as a Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) score of 3 or higher.
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Use of medications that may affect body weight or dopaminergic medications within the past 2 months.
- Known hypersensitivity to semaglutide.
- Pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant.
- Severe renal impairment, hepatic impairment, heart failure, acute pancreatitis, or thyroid disease.
- Any medical condition, disease, or medical history that, in the investigator's judgment, would make it difficult for the participant to complete the study or would interfere with interpretation of the study results.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| SemaglutideAlso: WegovyParticipants receive an 8-week subcutaneous semaglutide dose-escalation treatment using Wegovy: 0.25 mg once weekly for the first 4 weeks, followed by 0.5 mg once weekly for the next 4 weeks. | Drug | Off Drug then On Drug, On Drug then Off Drug |
Primary outcome
Change in Dopamine Binding Potential During the Look, Smell, and Drink Period
Time frame: Group A: At Baseline (Day 0) and 8 weeks (±3 days) after starting semaglutide. Group B: At 8 weeks (±3 days) after starting semaglutide and 8 weeks after semaglutide discontinuation.
Dopamine D2/D3 receptor binding potential is measured using [11C]raclopride PET during the food cue and drink period. The outcome is the within-participant difference in binding potential between the on-drug and off-drug/post-washout conditions.
4 secondary outcomes
Change in Dopamine Binding Potential During the Post-Ingestive Period
Time frame: Group A: At Baseline (Day 0) and 8 weeks (±3 days) after starting semaglutide. Group B: At 8 weeks (±3 days) after starting semaglutide and 8 weeks after semaglutide discontinuation.
State Food Craving Score
Time frame: Immediately before and after PET imaging. Group A: At Baseline (Day 0) and 8 weeks (±3 days) after starting semaglutide. Group B: At 8 weeks (±3 days) after starting semaglutide and 8 weeks after semaglutide discontinuation.
Chocolate Milk Liking, Chocolate Milk Wanting, and Fullness Ratings (VAS-100)
Time frame: During each 92-minute PET scan, at 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 51, 54, 57, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, and 90 minutes.
Food-Specific Attentional Bias
Time frame: Before PET imaging. Group A: At Baseline (Day 0) and 8 weeks (±3 days) after starting semaglutide. Group B: At 8 weeks (±3 days) after starting semaglutide and 8 weeks after semaglutide discontinuation.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 28 Jul 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. IPD will not be shared publicly because the current protocol does not include a plan for public sharing of individual participant data. Participant data will be managed in accordance with the approved protocol and institutional privacy protection requirements.
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Hyung Jin Choi, MD, PhD principal investigator
Seoul National University College of Medicine
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Semaglutide in people with Food Addiction Tendency and Obesity, run by Seoul National University Hospital at 1 site in South Korea.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in South Korea. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Taesung Lee, MD (+821097262123, nova2123@snu.ac.kr), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in Dopamine Binding Potential During the Look, Smell, and Drink Period (time frame: Group A: At Baseline (Day 0) and 8 weeks (±3 days) after starting semaglutide. Group B: At 8 weeks (±3 days) after starting semaglutide and 8 weeks after semaglutide discontinuation.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 Jul 2026.