Brain's Response to Chocolate

With obesity at an all-time high, understanding eating behavior beyond physical need is a
priority. Food reinforcement is driven by central dopamine activity. However, objective
measurement of brain dopamine-related behavioral events is hindered by the lack of
non-invasive, accessible techniques that are amenable to testing in a "naturalistic"
environment. The goal of this project is to develop a non-invasive, accessible methodology to
measure dopaminergic responses to food in a natural setting. This research will use a novel,
hand-held electroretinograph (ERG) that does not require eye dilation and uses a skin
electrode to measure retinal dopamine activity. Previous work establishes that retinal
dopamine activity can be used as a proxy for central dopamine function. The ability to assess
both subjective behavioral variables and central dopaminergic responses simultaneously will
provide an ideal approach for innovative studies of the control of eating behavior.

Inclusion Criteria:

- body mass index 20-30 kg/m2

- free of any major illness or disease

Exclusion Criteria:

- food allergies

- participation in a weight loss diet or exercise program

- pregnancy

- lactation

- metabolic illness or disease (diabetes, renal failure, thyroid illness, hypertension)

- eye illness or disease (narrow angle glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinal
detachment, cataracts)

- psychiatric, neurological or eating disorders (schizophrenia, depression, Parkinson's
Disease, Huntington's Disease, cerebral palsy, stroke, epilepsy, anorexia nervosa or
bulimia nervosa)

- take prescription medications except for oral contraceptives or antihyperlipidemia
agents