# Neurobehavioral Plasticity to Regular Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake; An fMRI Experiment

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2021 · $429,169

## Abstract

SUMMARY
The proposed project address critical gaps in the understanding of the strength, specificity and persistence of
neurobehavioral adaptions that occur in the initial period of repeated consumption of a branded sugar
sweetened beverage (SSB). Half of Americans consume SSBs on any given day1. Regular SSB intake is
considered a contributing factor to excess energy intake, weight gain, and obesity2–4, which impacts 70% of
Americans5. A contributing factor to repeated SSB consumption is sugar intake causes to the release of
dopamine (DA) and opioids in the striatum6, providing positive reinforcement. As such, multiple brain-based
models of food reward-driven obesity have been proposed, largely focusing on the striatum and executive
functioning7–14. These brain-based models of obesity have elucidated risk factors for overconsumption of high-
sugar foods; however, data supporting these competing models rely heavily on observational studies in small
samples. Importantly, previous reports from our lab and others directly implicate eating behavior patterns as a
vital contributor to aberrant neurobehavioral responses to food stimuli. However, without experimental
evidence, there are fundamental gaps in our knowledge about the neurobehavioral adaptations that occur as
an individual begins to regularly consume a SSB prior to weight change. As observational data suggest, it is
also crucial to examine individual difference factors that may exacerbate or protect against adaptations
associated with regular SSB intake, as well as whether these adaptions are specific. As such, we completed a
small, randomized controlled trial that assigned daily consumption of SSBs over 21 days. Results supported
the hypothesis that regular SSB intake results in specified neural, behavioral, and perceptual adaptions that
may increase risk for habitual consumption. To confirm and expand these preliminary data, we will randomly
assign 230 young adults (18-28 years old, BMI 18-34) to consume branded versions of either flavored SSBs or
unsweetened, flavored beverages daily for 3 weeks. Aim 1 will investigate specific neurobehavioral effects of
repeated intake of novel SSB and logo exposure relative to unsweetened, flavored control beverages/logos,
allowing for the direct test of the impact of regular high sugar beverage intake. Aim 2 will test whether
individual difference factors previously implicated in obesity (e.g., overweight, SSB consumption, genetic
predisposition for compromised DA functioning, Pavlovian learning) moderate the neurobehavioral response
patterns as a function of daily SSB intake. This will allow us to identify exacerbating and/or protective factors of
neurobehavioral adaptions as an individual begins to regularly consume a SSB. Aim 3 will examine group- and
individual-level differences in extinction effects resulting from cessation of daily SSB intake, which will allow for
a greater understanding of the persistence of adaptations once the beverage is remove...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10197896
- **Project number:** 5R01DK112317-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Kyle S. Burger
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $429,169
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-08-01 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10197896

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10197896, Neurobehavioral Plasticity to Regular Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake; An fMRI Experiment (5R01DK112317-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10197896. Licensed CC0.

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