Brain scans reveal how a Weight-Loss drug may rewire food cravings
NCT ID NCT07732426
First seen Jul 28, 2026 · Last updated Jul 29, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study investigates whether semaglutide, a GLP-1 drug used for weight loss, alters dopamine activity in the brain when people with obesity and food addiction see, smell, and taste food. Thirty adults will receive semaglutide for 8 weeks and undergo PET brain scans to measure dopamine receptor binding while viewing food images and drinking chocolate milk. The goal is to understand how the drug affects the brain's reward system and food-related behaviors.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- semaglutide (Wegovy) injections over 8 weeks
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could reveal how GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide affect food cravings and reward pathways in the brain, pointing toward better treatments for food addiction.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 30 participants and no control group, so results may not apply broadly. The brain scan technique is indirect and may not capture real-world eating behavior.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jul 2026
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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19 to 50 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * 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. Exclusion Criteria: * 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).
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Seoul National University Hospital
RECRUITINGSeoul, South Korea
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