Reward and Food Addiction in First Episode Psychosis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Reward and Food Addiction in First Episode Psychosis – a longitudinal pilot study
IRAS ID
271024
Contact name
Adrian Heald
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
RDASH
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 2 days
Research summary
The main medications used to treat schizophrenia/other psychotic illnesses cause significant weight gain, as identified in established product literature for antipsychotic agents b) established research available c) current NICE guidelines .
Consequent obesity can also lead to failure to take medication, reduced psychological well-being and stigma.
Weight gain is one of the most powerful predictors for the future development of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome with short term weight gain predicting longer term weight gain. Anecdotal evidence suggests that patients treated with olanzapine, quetiapine and other atypical antipsychotic agents experience increased food craving and reduced satiation. This is supported by limited longitudinal data.
We propose a pilot study to be conducted in Greater Manchester that will gather important information in relation to the psychological and hormonal/metabolic drivers of weight change.
This will afford us not only an estimation of changes in eating behaviour/attitude, but also craving and fat/ sugar consumption and food and nutrient intakes.
Our aim is that with these measures we can achieve greater understanding of the specific mechanisms that might be meditating the changes in food responsiveness.REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/WM/0146
Date of REC Opinion
18 May 2020
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion