NCT05101863: MOTIVFOOD

FMRI of Dietary Decision-making in Food Addicted Participants Compared to Non-food Addicted Participants

Completed Last updated 12 January 2026

What this trial tests

trial testing Motivational interviewing in Food Addiction, Obesity, fMRI, Decision-making, Motivational Interviewing in 56 participants. Completed in 13 October 2024.

Timeline

15 September 2022

Primary endpoint
13 September 2024

13 October 2024

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France
Status	Completed
Study type	OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment	56
Start date	15 September 2022
Primary completion	13 September 2024
Estimated completion	13 October 2024
Sites	1 location across France

Drugs / interventions tested

• Motivational interviewing

Conditions studied

• Food Addiction, Obesity, fMRI, Decision-making, Motivational Interviewing — all drugs for Food Addiction, Obesity, fMRI, Decision-making, Motivational Interviewing →

Sponsor

Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France — full company profile →

Who can join

Adults 18 to 70, any sex, with Food Addiction, Obesity, fMRI, Decision-making, Motivational Interviewing. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

Why in some situations can words soothe our cravings? This research proposal will test the power of self-generated reasons for behavioural change in food addiction, which concerns about three out of ten persons and causes major life hazards such as obesity, diabetes and cancer. While food addiction is becoming more and more frequent in western societies, not much is known about its underlying neurocognitive mechanisms and how to tackle it. This study aims to investigate if and why certain types of affirmation-based therapies such as motivational interviewing (MI) are beneficial for the treatment of food addiction. The working hypothesis proposes that cognitive regulation-based self-control underpins the neurocognitive shift of a patient's willingness to change addictive behaviour, generated by the patient during MI therapy of food addiction. To test this hypothesis this study combines functional magnetic resonance imaging with behavioural testing of dietary decision-making following a participant's change or sustain talk statements. It will compare three groups of participants with and without food addiction and obesity and lean controls. This study will contribute to the improvement of therapies based upon talking oneself in and out of addiction promoting goals. Findings will provide a better understanding of how our everyday life dietary decision-environments prompt good intentions such as improving long-term nutritional quality to actual behaviours such as forgoing immediate desire.

Publications & conference data

3 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

1. The neural pathways of change: an fMRI study of the effects of behavioral change suggestions on value-based dietary decision-making.
   Rodrigues B, Flament B, Khalid I, Rampanana M, et al · · 2026 · PMID 41667838 · DOI 10.1038/s41366-026-02018-1
2. The neural pathways of change: An fMRI study of the effects of behavioral change suggestions on value-based dietary decision-making
   Rodrigues B, Flament B, Khalid I, Rampanana M, et al · · 2025 · DOI 10.1101/2025.03.03.25323231
3. How motivational interviewing shifts food choices and craving-related brain responses to healthier options
   Rodrigues B, Khalid I, Frileux S, Flament B, et al · · 2023 · DOI 10.1101/2023.10.13.562241