Search Results Within Category "Food & Nutrition"
Prevalence of Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) traits among children and adolescents with Food Allergy
This study looks at understanding eating behaviors and attitudes toward food in children/adolescents. More specifically the study's goal is to compare those with and without food allergies to gain a better understanding of a possible underlying factor towards certain behaviors. Children and their caregivers will complete a survey composed of a short section on the child's medical history regarding allergies followed with questions in commonly used clinical assessments.
Age 18 years or older
Intellectual disability preventing comprehension of questions
Child and/or caregiver unable to respond to English-language questionnaire
Brain Mechanisms of Overeating in Children
Reducing intake from large portions is of critical importance to preventing obesity. People consistently eat more when they are served larger portions, a phenomenon known as the portion size effect. The mechanisms of the portion size effect are not well understood, and investigating the underlying neurobiology that drives this phenomenon may inform the development of more effective obesity prevention programs. The proposed research will follow healthy weight children who vary by family risk for obesity to identify the neurobiological and appetitive traits that are implicated in overeating and weight gain during the critical pre-adolescent period. We expect results to confirm the hypothesis that reduced function of brain inhibitory pathways and increased activity in brain reward pathways in response to portion size cues contributes to excess intake with large portions and greater weight gain over time, particularly in children who have higher risk for obesity. The proposed studies will characterize the relationship between brain response to portion size and eating behavior and will allow us to determine whether brain and behavioral responses predict body fat gain during pre-adolescence. These studies will contribute essential information to our understanding of the pathways implicated in overeating and obesity and will facilitate the characterization of “at risk” phenotypes that can be targeted by prevention programs.
There will be seven in person visits with two DEXA measurements, one fMRI scan and five meals.
$350
The child must not have any food allergies to foods used in the study, learning disabilities, psychological diagnoses, red/green color blindness, or claustrophobia.
The child must not be taking any medications known to influence cognitive function, taste, appetite or blood flow
The child's BMI must be below the 90th percentile at the first visit
The biological mother and father must have a BMI between 18.5-25 kg/m2 (low-risk group) or greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 for mothers and greater than or equal to 25 kg/m2 for fathers (high-risk group) and 1 parent must attend all visits.
Children will be excluded if they have any food allergies, learning disabilities, psychological diagnoses, red/green color blindness, or claustrophobia
Children will be excluded if they are taking cold or allergy medication, or other medications known to influence cognitive function, taste, appetite, or blood flow
Children will be excluded if their BMI is above the 90th percentile at the first visit
Families will be excluded if the biological mother or father do not fit the BMI requirements
Investigation of pulse starch impact on the gut microbiome
We are investigating how the starch from pulse crops (chickpeas, lentils and dry peas) affects the gut microbiome, particularly with regards to the production of butyrate, a microbial metabolite with a number of known health benefits. We are recruiting people from two groups, those that consume a lot of these pulses and those who rarely consume them. These participants will then track their food intake for 48 hours before collecting a fecal sample which they will return to the lab. We will then use these fecal samples to conduct laboratory fermentations with pulse starches processed in a number of different ways to see what factors are important for determining the amount of butyrate that is produced. This will serve as pilot data for designing future human clinical trials.
Either consume pulses twice or more per week or consume them once a month or less. Pulses are dry legumes such as chickpeas(Garbanzo beans), lentils or other dry peas and beans
Taking a fiber supplement
Bowel problems such as IBD, IBS, chronic diarrhea or constipation
Pregnancy
Measuring the impact of three types of resistant starch on fecal butyrate levels and the gut microbiome in healthy and obese individuals
This is dietary intervention trial that will examine the impact of consuming three different types of resistant starch on the gut microbiome and butyrate levels in normal weight and obese individuals. Participants will consume starch samples daily for 24 weeks, collecting weekly fecal samples that will be returned to the lab. Researchers will analyze the bacterial fermentation products in these samples, particularly butyrate and analyze the microbiome composition. This will allow identification of differences in resistant starch (a dietary fiber) processing between normal weight and obese individuals and will also determine if the three resistant starches tested have differing impacts on the microbiome and butyrate levels.
Diagnosis of Diabetes
Pregnant
Taking antibiotics
Habit Learning in Adolescents and Young Adults
This research seeks to exam behavioral and neural differences in the formation and maintenance of habit behavior in adolescents and adults.
All visits will be in person. Participants in Group 1 will complete one 1-day training session and will be at the imaging center for approximately 1.5 hours total.Participants in Group 2 will complete a 3-day training session, during which the same types of procedures are done, just with more trials. Participants in this group will undergo four training sessions (instead of 2) on Day 1 and Day 2. Each of the three visits will be about 1.5-2 hours long.For both groups, we will obtain informed consent and assent, height and weight, and demographic information. They will also answer questionnaires and work on a cognitive assessment battery. Within the scanner, we will collect anatomical data, task related fMRI data and resting state fMRI data.
$150
Health adults between the ages of 25 to 40
Not currently taking medications known to influence body weight, task, food intake, behavior, or blood flow
Left handed
Diagnosed neurological or psychological condition including anxiety or depression
Currently or planning to follow a diet for weight loss
Non-removable body piercings, pacemaker, or other metal implants that would preclude safe completion of an MRI
AWS-PSU: Active Women's Study at Penn State University
AWS-PSU: Active Women's Study at Penn State University This research study is being conducted to evaluate the impact of exercise and reproductive function on bone strength. Eligible young women (age 18-30) are those that are generally healthy and either a) exercising and experiencing regular or irregular menstrual cycles, or b) not exercising and experiencing regular menstrual cycles.
Age 18-30
BMI between 16-29.9
No hormonal contraception for 6 months
Currently using medication impacting bone
Examining contextual factors associated with food-related reward and eating restraint
Rates of obesity have risen sharply throughout the world over the past several decades. The increase in the availability of highly palatable, high-calorie foods may be one factor that has contributed to this trend. That is, the availability of such foods may lead to their over-consumption and corresponding weight gain. Currently, relatively little is known about how the availability of foods, per se, affects things such as the motivation to eat and the ability to resist doing so. The current study is designed to help address this knowledge gap by examining the effects of food availability in people with high levels of dietary restraint. Dietary restraint, which refers to the intention to restrict food intake deliberately in order to prevent weight gain or to promote weight, is linked to problematic patterns of eating. This project uses laboratory tasks and brain imaging to study the effects of food availability on various outcomes, including food choices, food craving, and responses in brain areas linked to motivation.
Participants will be asked to fill out some online questionnaires and complete some computerized behavioral tasks. They will be asked to attend a one-hour virtual screening/baseline session via Zoom, and a 3-hour MRI session in the Penn State campus, University Park. In the MRI session, participants will be performing on a task involving asking them to view a series of colorful food pictures inside an MRI scanner while their brain activity is being scanned.
80
Participants must be right handed.
Participants must be fluent English speakers.
Participants must have a body mass index (BMI) >= 25.
Participants must have experienced food eating/weight issues.
If participant have a lifetime history of diagnosed eating disorders, diabetes, hyperglycemia, high levels of triglycerides, or high cholesterol or other related medical conditions.
If participants have any known risk from exposure to high-field strength magnetic fields (e.g., pace makers), any irremovable metallic foreign objects in their body (e.g., braces), or a questionable history of metallic fragments.
If participants report that they are vegetarian/vegan.
If participants are not willing to refrain from using alcohol for 24 hours or from using nicotine products/recreational drugs for 3 weeks, or unwilling to fast from food for 5 hours prior to two of three lab visits.
Effect of Nitrate Supplementation on Cerebrovascular function and Cognitive Function in Older Adults with Metabolic Syndrome
The aim of this study is to determine the impact of cardiometabolic disease risk factors on cognitive performance and brain vascular function, as well as, to see if beetroot juice supplementation can improve these outcomes and reduce risk of cognitive decline and brain vascular dysfunction that is seen with aging and disease.
Participants with and without high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar will be recruited. These are all considered cardiovascular disease risk factors.Individuals without multiple cardiovascular disease risk factors will have 2 visits and complete cognitive and blood vessel function assessments. There involves a blood draw in each visit. All study assessments are non-invasive. Total compensation is $30. Individuals with cardiovascular disease risk factors will have 5 total visits and complete cognitive and blood vessel function assessments. Additionally, participants will drink beetroot juice for 4 weeks to determine the potential health benefits on cognitive, blood vessel function, and metabolic health. There will involve blood draws and all assessments are non-invasive. Total compensation is up to $170.
$30 -170
high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol and/or high cholesterol
the above criteria does not apply for the control group
Severe visual impairment
Individuals with any overt cardiovascular, hematologic, pulmonary, renal, musculoskeletal, and/or neurological disease(s)
Sleep and eating behaviors in rural preadolescent children (Tween SPACE [Sleep Patterns, Appetite Control, and Environment])
The goal of this study is to learn about how children's sleep is related to their eating behaviors the next day. We are also interested in learning about factors that relate to eating behaviors and sleep health that are specific to preadolescent children living in rural communities. Participants will complete two virtual study visits via Zoom, answer surveys, and wear sleep and physical activity monitors for 2 weeks in their own homes.
- Study materials will be mailed to participants- Parent and child will attend a Zoom visit with a researcher to go over study procedures and measure child's height and weight- Child will wear a sleep monitor on their wrist and physical activity monitor around their waist continuously for 14 days- Child will attend a second Zoom visit to complete questionnaires- Parent will complete an online survey- Participants will return study materials via provided, prepaid shipping packaging
$200
Living in a rural zip code in United States (as defined by Health Resources & Services Administration)
Child BMI-for-age >=85th percentile OR BMI-for-age >=15th percentile plus one biological parent with overweight
Able to read and answer questions in English
Unable to connect to Zoom session via internet or cell-phone data
Unable to receive and sign for package with study supplies
Parent/child living in the same household as a previous or current participant in the study
Mindful Moms study
This study (Mindful Moms) is being done to understand how an 8-week app-based mindfulness program called Calm impacts breastfeeding and maternal well-being. Eligible participants will be asked to complete three online surveys (each survey will take about 20 minutes) and take part in an 8-week app-based mindfulness program. Eligible participants will also be asked to take part in one online interview that will take about 25-30 minutes once the mindfulness program is over.
Participants will take part in one of two groups: A group asked to take part in a free 8-week app-based mindfulness program on their smartphone starting when they are 36 weeks pregnant or 4 weeks after delivery. The program will teach participants about mindfulness and breathing strategies to assist with calming their mind and body. or A group asked to take part in a free 8-week app-based mindfulness program on your smartphone starting 4 weeks or 12 weeks after they deliver. The program will teach participants about mindfulness and breathing strategies to assist with calming their mind and body. Participants will also be asked to complete three online surveys (each survey will take about 20 minutes) and take part in one online interview that will take about 25-30 minutes once the mindfulness program is over.
$130
currently pregnant (12 to 34 weeks) or recently delivered (within the past 4 weeks)
intend to or are currently breastfeeding
daily access to a smartphone
willing to download a free mobile app
Longitudinal Associations Between Food Insecurity, Diet, Mental Health, Sleep and Academic Outcomes in College Students
This is a questionnaire study that seeks to discover the prevalence of food insecurity at PSU's University Park campus over the course of a semester and the relationship between long-term food insecurity and academic outcomes, as mediated by mental health and sleep outcomes.
Must be in their 2nd semester during Spring 2021
Must have internet access
Must be at least 18 years old
Must not have children or other dependents
Has diagnosed mental disorders
Is unable to read, write or understand English fluently
Characterizing resilience to food-cue induced overeating in children
This is a behavioral and neuroimaging study that will examine how food commercials affect the way a child eats and responds to food. Children enrolled in the study will complete 5 in-lab sessions that include eating meals and snacks, watching TV, and playing computer games. For one of these sessions, children will complete an fMRI scan. On the first and last visit to the lab, children will receive a DXA scan to assess their body composition.
We are looking for children to help us learn about how kids respond to different types of foods and food advertisements. The study consists of 5 visits to our facilities in Noll and Chandlee Labs, located on the University Park Campus. For 3 visits your child will eat test meals and snack buffets in our laboratory. On 1 visit we will use fMRI to take pictures of your child’s brain. We will use a DXA to scan for lean muscle and conduct an IQ test. These procedures are not harmful. You and your child will fill out questionnaires.Your child will also play computer games and watch commercials.
$250.00-450.00
Be 7-9 years-old at enrollment.
Not be taking any medications known to influence body weight, taste, food intake, behavior, or blood flow.
Have no learning disabilities (e.g., ADHD).
The biological mother must have a body mass index either between 18.5 - 25 kg/m2 (low-risk group) or greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (high-risk group).
If they have a learning disability, ADD/ADHD, language delays, autism or other neurological or psychological conditions.
If they have a pre-existing medical condition such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Cushing’s syndrome, Down’s syndrome, severe lactose intolerance, Prader-Willi syndrome, HIV, cancer, renal failure, cerebral palsy, or can't engage in moderate exercise.
If they don’t speak English.
Biological mother must have a body mass index either between 18.5 - 25 kg/m2 (low-risk group) or greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 for mothers (high-risk group), or they are excluded.
Study of Angelica gigas dietary supplements (Cogni.Q) and potential effects on human immune cells
This human study will test the impact of dietary supplement vegicaps containing Korean Angelica root extract on 2 types of human immune cells: neutrophils that kill bacteria and other germs and natural killer (NK) cells that kill virus-infected cells and cancers. We had done an earlier study with Korean Angelica supplement and discovered even a single dose of it increased blood neutrophils and NK cells within 24 h. In the new study, Korean Angelica capsules (Cogni.Q) will be compared head-to-head with dummy (placebo) capsules. This is to make sure the immune boosting actions are really from the Korean Angelica supplement.Approximately 40 men will take part in this research study at Hershey Medical Center.
Subjects weighing between 110 to 240 pounds; their body mass index (BMI) should be in the range of 19=< BMI >=30
Subjects having normal hepatic, renal function as assessed by history, physical and clinical chemistry analysis (CMP eGFR).
Subjects with normal blood pressure (systolic below 120 mm Hg and diastolic below 80 mm Hg)
Subjects taking any kind of prescription medications regularly or within 10 days of the study will be excluded.
Subjects taking dietary or herbal supplements that contain AGN (e.g. Cogni.Q, Decursinol-50, Ache Action, Fast-Acting Joint Formula, EstroG-100/Profemin) within 10 days of the study.
Non-English-speaking subjects
Penn State Exercising Women's Study
This study aims to assess energy status in young sedentary and exercising women as it is related to menstrual status, bone health, psychological health, sleep variables, and cardiovascular function.
There will be three to four visits to the laboratory. Procedures include questionnaires, a blood draw, providing a hair sample, providing two saliva samples, cardiovascular measurements, and bone scans, as well as resting metabolic rate, cognitive, aerobic fitness, and countermovement jump testing. Participants will be asked to collect urine samples throughout one menstrual cycle, or 28 days for amenorrheic females. Exercise and physical activity will be recorded and monitored for seven days via logs and wearables. Food intake will be recorded for three days. Collegiate athletes will be tested twice; in-season and off-season.
Age 18-30 years
Body Mass Index between 16-29.9 kg/m2
For sedentary participants: less than 2 hours of purposeful exercise per week and regular menstrual cycles for the last 6 months (i.e. cycles between 26 and 35 days in length)
For exercising participants: exercise at least 2 hours per week AND/OR participate in collegiate athletics. Exercising participants can have regular or irregular menstrual cycles for the last 6 months.
Currently a smoker or history of regular smoking
Taking any hormonal medication in the past six months, other than oral contraceptives
Serious or chronic health condition (including heart condition, thyroid illness, metabolic disease)
Hysterectomy or oophorectomy
The Child Health Study
We want to understand how a child's environment affects biology in ways that impact child health
The project involves completing three Penn State ChildHealth Days on the University Park Campus in StateCollege, PA 2 years apart. Your child will receive a comprehensivehealth screening and you will be asked to completeseveral assessments about your child’s physical healthand emotional well-being. Travel and hotel costs arefree for eligible families.
520
Speak and understand English
Participation of a legal guardian
Stressors under food insecurity and short-term cognitive change in rural older adults
The study is recruiting older adults of age 60 or older in rural Central Pennsylvania to track their food insecurity, diet, mood, stress and cognitive functions in two seasonal months in the winter and in the summer. Each day, participants will use a provided survey phone to answer the survey questions on food situations, mood and stress (20-30 mins) and diet (10 - 30 mins). Participants will also be asked to complete the short cognitive assessments (<3 mins) on smart phones. Following the social distancing guideline during COVID-19 pandemic, remote virtual training will be provided via Zoom and device pick-up and return will be via USPS services. All data collection will take place at participant's home. Up to $400 study compensation in check will be provided.
There will be up to two in-person trainings. Participants will be provided a smartphone for data collection. Each data collection period last for a month. There are up to two months of data collection periods. All data collection will take place at participants' home using the provided smartphone.
Up to $400
No difficulty with activities of daily living
Connected to internet at home
Has any diagnosed neurodegenerative diseases
Has significant cognitive impairment
Has a chronic mental illness
Is heavy drinker of alcohol
Psychological and Biological Determinants of Eating Disorder Pathology in Endurance and Aesthetic Athletes
The purpose of this study is to investigate psychobiological factors that impact the development and manifestation of eating disorder (ED) pathology in elite male and female athletes before and during their competitive season.
The purpose of this voluntary research study is to assess how changes in stress, cognitive flexibility, response inhibition, and reward delay predict the trajectory of eating disorder behaviors and associated side effects of energy deficiency from the off-season compared to the competitive season. Your participation in this study will last approximately the duration of one season of your sport, specifically 4-weeks of data collection prior to season commencement (baseline), 4-weeks of data collection during peak competition season, and 4-weeks of data collection during off-season. The total time spent in the lab will be approximately 10-14 hours. Procedures will occur three times and measurements will be taken twice following baseline measures (once during the peak competition season, once during off-season), if you agree to do so.
$50
A member of a Penn State NCAA Division 1 Sports team, or Penn State affiliated competitive club team, or competitive community sport team
Exercising without any training modifications that reduce training participation.
non-smoker
No serious of chronic health conditions
Currently a smoker or history of regular smoking (including nicotine products, e-cigarettes, vaping)
Medications influencing metabolic or endocrine factors (e.g., hormonal use in previous 6 months)
Medical instability or history of psychosis
Vasectomy (male) or Hysterectomy or oophorectomy (female)
Insulitis, Inflammation, Dietary intake and Omega-3 Biostatus of Youth with Partial Remission of Type 1 Diabetes
Only 50% of patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) recover insulin secretion function after 3 months of initial diagnosis, and this phase is called partial remission (PR) of T1D, also called "Honeymoon phase". During this PR phase of T1D, patients recover the ability to secrete more than 50% of their insulin secretion function. This phase of PR typically lasts no longer than 6 or up to12 months, and has been frequently defined as requiring exogenous insulin below 0.5 units per kilogram per day, and hemoglobin A1C is typically below 7.5%. Most recently the use of a coefficient called IDAA1C ≤ 9 has became more accepted as the methodology to determine the development of partial clinical remission of T1D (honeymoon phase). Prior data published by the SEARCH study (national epidemiological study) showed that youth with prolonged honeymoon phase had higher intake of omega -3 fatty acids, vitamin D intake and leucine intake than those youth without prolonged honeymoon phase of T1D. Currently, there are not approved medications to prolong this phase of partial remission of type 1 diabetes, however inducing PR in youth with T1D could potentially decrease the risk of multi-organ damage caused by chronic severe hyperglycemia associated to the chronic hyperglycemia related to T1D.We aim to perform a case- multiple control study between youth with prolonged partial remission phase of T1D after one year of diagnosis, and compare these youths with multiple controls matched by age, gender, race, and puberty stage to study the potential protective factors associated to the development of prolonged partial remission of T1D.
Participants will be approached at their routine Pediatric diabetes clinic appointment. If participants agrees to be in the research, informed consent/assent will be reviewed and signed by all parties. Participant's parent/guardian will be asked to complete a questionnaire. The participant's glucose machine/insulin pump will be downloaded for study purposes. Participant will undergo a fingerstick and a blood draw to collect specific lab values as outlined in the consent.
$35.00
Age 1-17 years old, any gender
Attendance to the Pediatric diabetes clinic at Penn State Health in Hershey, PA
Most recent hemoglobin A1C below 7.5%
History of seafood allergies and/or milk/dairy related allergies
Medical conditions (such as severe cerebral palsy, etc.) that could make patients unable to communicate with the study team
Existence of other autoimmune diseases in addition to T1D requiring regular treatment with immunosuppressive or anti-inflammatory treatment
Diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, monogenic diabetes (MODY), secondary diabetes, pregnancy, compromised kidney function, or liver diseases
Effect of oral black raspberry administration on oral cell DNA adducts in smokers
This is an intervention study that will examine the effect of black raspberry lozenges on mouth cell DNA damage in smokers.
Following one week of being in the study you will be given black raspberry lozenges to take 5 times daily for 8 weeks. Afterwards you will participate in the study for an additional 4 weeks for a ‘wash-out’ period where no lozenges are given. During study visits you will be asked to complete questionnaires, provide a urine sample, and a mouth cell sample by brushing the inside of your cheek with a toothbrush. You will smoke as you normally do throughout the study. You will record cigarette and lozenge use every day. You will complete 2 phone call interviews about your 24-hour food intake during the beginning and the end of the study.
$380
21-75 years of age
No quit attempt in the prior 30 days
No plans to quit smoking in next 4 months
Willingness and ability to attend 8 visits over 13 weeks
Women who are pregnant or nursing
Use of marijuana or other illegal drugs
Any known allergy to raspberries
Heavy drinking (>4 drinks/day, 5 days/wk)
Investigating the impact of food form on children’s ability to compensate for energy
This study is looking at how different apple products (apple juice, apple sauce, and apple slices) might affect children's hunger and fullness. During 5 visits to our laboratory at Penn State, children will participate in a variety of games and tasks, and will eat meals and snacks with a research assistant. Children must be between the ages of 4.5-6 years old to participate in this study.
There will be 5 in-person visits. During each visit, children will consume an apple-based snack (apple slices, apple sauce, or apple juice) before a meal. Children will also wear a small heart rate monitor during each visit. On each visit, different games and tasks will be completed with the children while the parent completes various surveys.
$200-400
No food allergies
Nocturnal stress: Psychophysiological mechanisms
This study will examine the relationships among time-of-day, light exposure, and stress markers. Physiological measures of stress will be assessed both in and out of the laboratory using a gold-standard emotion induction task, along with out-of-lab questionnaires and ambulatory sensors.
This is a week-long study consisting of two in-person visits and five out-of-lab days. During the in-person visits, you will be connected to equipment that measures your physiological data and participate in a task with different sounds. During the out-of-lab days, you will wear a sensor that will collect your physiological data and answer questionnaires.
$135
Not a regular (>1x day) user of nicotine products
Willing to participate in 2 in-lab sessions and 5 out-of-lab days of wearing a sensor
Willing to have gender-matched lab member attach electrodes to the participant while their shirt is removed
Willing to abstain from alcohol use for 24 hours, caffeine consumption for 6 hours, eating for 2 hours, and vigorous exercise for 2 hours prior to the study session
Not willing to have gender-matched lab member attach electrodes to the participant while their shirt is removed
Not willing/able to wear biosensor at home for 5 consecutive days
Diagnosis of a cardiovascular, metabolic, and/or neurological condition
Regular (>1x day) user of nicotine products
Postmenopausal women and their endothelium: Is dietary nitrate supplementation protective?
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The loss of estrogen from menopause puts women at a greater risk of developing heart disease. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of drinking beetroot juice on measures of blood vessel health and blood pressure. Participants will drink beetroot juice and placebo juice each for one week followed by blood pressure measurements and ultrasound imaging of an artery in the upper arm. A sub-aim of this study is to investigate the effects of estrogen status on blood vessel function between pre- and post-menopausal women.
There are a total of 6 in-person visits to the Clinical Research Center. You will be asked to drink beetroot juice (2 oz) every day for 7 days. Participants will undergo vascular assessments, blood pressure measurements, and blood draws (11 in total for 6 visits).
$120
BMI <35
Blood pressure <130/80
LDL <170 mg/dL
Individuals with resting blood pressure > or = 130/80 mmHg
Users of any tobacco and/or nicotine products (smokers, chewing tobacco, nicotine-containing patches/gum, smokeless cigarettes)
Individuals with any overt cardiovascular, metabolic, hematologic, pulmonary, renal, musculoskeletal, and/or neurological disease(s)
Individuals with active cancer
Slips of Action in Adolescents and Young Adults
Adolescence is a critical period during which many important healthhttps://irb.psu.edu/IRB/sd/ResourceAdministration/Project/ProjectEditor?Project=com.webridge.entity.Entity[OID[058ACDEB3E43384D816C7E390C2B83F6]]&Mode=smartform&WizardPageOID=com.webridge.entity.Entity[OID[E4552FC57E491543A6B7FD8268E23FD7]] habits form in humans. However, animal models provide mixed information about habit formation across development and there are relatively few human studies that address differences between habit formation in adolescents and adults. To address this gap, the proposed study will assess differences in habit formation in adolescents and adults as measured by the "Slips of Action" task, which seeks to discriminate between habitual and goal-directed learning of visual stimuli pairings.
There will be one in-person visit lasting about one hour. Visits will begin with informed consent. Participants will complete a computer task where they are asked to learn associations between pictures and then will be tested on the associated pairings. They will also complete questionnaires and cognitive tasks.
$20
Healthy adults between the ages of 25 to 40
No learning disabilities (e.g., ADHD) or diagnosed psychological conditions (e.g. anxiety)
Right handed
Not on any medications known to influence behavior
Diagnosed neurological or psychological condition including severe anxiety and/or depression, schizophrenia, learning disability, ADD/ADHD, or autism
Significant family history of neurological or psychological disorders
Left handed
Participant is on any medication that may influence behavior
Califormula Study: Calibrated Formula Feeding to Optimize Infant Growth
This pilot study seeks to determine if formula feeding recommendations that are adjusted using age and weight specific caloric intake recommendations can prevent excessive infant weight gain and reduce overweight in the first 6 months after birth among infants born to mothers with overweight prior to pregnancy electing to exclusively formula feed their infants.
There will be 5-7 visits, where you will record formula volumes on diary cards for a total of 6 days per visit, and be given formula volume recommendations if you are in the intervention group. All participants will complete surveys when their infants are 1 and 6 months of age.
$300
Term or Early term Infants (≥37 weeks)
Infant birthweight ≥50th percentile
Optimizing Maternal Nutrition: Adaptive trials and molecular methods to improve maternal and newborn health
Poor maternal nutrition is linked to poor birth outcomes. Current vitamin and mineral recommendations in pregnancy are based on limited data mostly from animal models and non-pregnant people. This study seeks to improve our understanding of the amounts of vitamins and minerals that are needed during pregnancy, to improve the health of women and newborns, especially in low-and middle-income countries. Nutrients travel around the body in blood, therefore part of the research is to understand how much blood and the watery component of blood (plasma) increases in pregnancy. This is a collaborative study with George Washington University (lead PI is there). The Penn State team will conduct pilot work to establish a method for measuring plasma volume in 2 phases. In phase 1, nonpregnant will be asked to attend one visit and plasma volume will be measured by injecting indocyanine-green (ICG, a green dye) and hydroxyethyl starch (HES, a form of starch) through an IV in the arm. In phase 2, pregnant women will be asked to attend 2 visits that are 4 weeks apart, but only HES (the starch) will be injected. For both phases (1 and 2), blood draws will occur at each visit and other non-invasive measurements will also be taken (e.g. weight, height, blood pressure). Each visit should take less than 2 hours and will be conducted at the Clinical Research Center in Noll Laboratory on the Penn State campus.
In phase 1, nonpregnant will be asked to attend one visit and plasma volume will be measured by injecting indocyanine-green (ICG, a green dye) and hydroxyethyl starch (HES, a form of starch) through an IV in the arm. In phase 2, pregnant women will be asked to attend 2 visits that are 4 weeks apart, but only HES (the starch) will be injected. For both phases (1 and 2), blood draws will occur at each visit and other non-invasive measurements will also be taken (e.g. weight, height, blood pressure). Each visit should take less than 2 hours and will be conducted at the Clinical Research Center in Noll Laboratory on the Penn State campus.
$50 per visit
Are generally healthy with normal blood pressure and BMI
Phase 1 - not pregnant
Phase 2 - are currently pregnant (22-32 weeks)
Currently have low or high blood pressure
Taking regular medication(s) prescribed by a physician
Phase 1 - pregnant or breastfeeding
Phase 2 - multiple/twin pregnancy
Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial
This study aims to evaluate the effect of providing one avocado per day for consumption over a six month period on established health parameters, including visceral adiposity, hepatic lipid content, markers of metabolic syndrome and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), compared to habitual diet.The primary aim of this study is to determine whether providing one avocado per day for consumption for six months will produce a greater decrease in visceral adiposity as measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in Americans with an increased waist circumference as compared to habitual diet.
not currently eating >2 avocados per month
increased waist circumference (35+ inches for women, 40+ inches for men)
not willing to undergo MRI scans
unstable medical conditions
lost/gained 10 or more pounds in past year
Understanding Prenatal Hydration Behaviors
To examine women’s self-reported pregnancy hydration behaviors, especially during a global pandemic. This study will also examine other lifestyle behaviors (e.g., weight gain, exercise, eating behaviors, sleep, pain management). It is hypothesized that hydration behaviors will decrease due to lifestyle changes related to the pandemic. Secondary outcomes will also be influenced by hydration behaviors and pandemic lifestyle changes.
Women
18-45
English speaking
Men
Younger than 18
Non-English speaking
NASH AMPK Exercise Dosing (AMPED) Trial
The purpose of this trial is to test different levels of exercise needed to reduce liver fat in patients with NASH.
If you take part in this research, your major responsibilities will include: •Completing exercise sessions (if randomized to exercise group). A typical exercise session will include a 5 minutes warm-up with stretching, 15-45 minutes of brisk walking, jogging or recumbent bike and a 5-minute cool-down.
250.00
NASH diagnosis
BMI 25-45 kg/m2
sedentary lifestyle
Active cardiac symptoms
Cancer that is active
Inability to provide informed consent
Other liver disease
COVID-19: Implications for Family Meals
The purpose of this study is to gather information about family meals, what they look like, and how they have changed over time since the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants will complete a confidential online survey last approximately 10-15 minutes.
Adults who live in a household with a child under the age of 18
Adult who are fluent in English
Individuals who can read and respond to written closed and open-ended survey questions electronically
Individuals who live in the United States
Individuals who do not reside in a household with a child under the age of 18
Individuals who are not fluent in English
Individuals with poor reading comprehension or are otherwise limited in their ability to read and respond to survey questions.
Individuals who do not currently live in the United States
Observations of Family Mealtime Routines
The purpose of this study is to gather information about what family mealtimes look like for families with children between the ages of 3 and 8. Families will be asked to video record their family mealtime, in addition to answer some questions and to complete some questionnaires, some about body image and dieting.
On one occasion, your family's mealtime will be recorded via Zoom. You and your family will be asked some questions and to complete some questionnaires online.
$20
Adults age 18 and older
Children, ages 3-8
Individuals fluent in English
Caregivers who are under the age of 18
Individuals who are not fluent in English
Families without at least one child age 3 to 8