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Brain and Obesity Longitudinal Development: Neurobiological Mechanisms of Semaglutide Treatment of Adolescent Obesity

Who can join

As published by the study on ClinicalTrials.gov. "Not stated" means the study hasn't said — ask the study team.

Age
12 Years to 15 Years
Sex
All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Not accepted
Compensation
Not stated

Other requirements are listed under Eligibility below. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.

What to expect

No one can promise a trial will help you personally — that is what the research is trying to find out.

What participation involves

  • Procedures mentioned: MRI scans, Interviews, Blood draws

Only what the study's summary and detailed description on ClinicalTrials.gov say. Time periods may describe the whole study or a part of it — ask the study team what applies to you.

Show the study's own words
  • "Assessments at each timepoint include 3T structural and resting-state functional MRI, a neurobehavioral and interoceptive battery, and saliva and blood collection for biomarker analysis and biobanking; a semi-structured qualitative interview is conducted at the follow-up visit."
  • "Aim 3 (Qualitative): Characterize adolescents' lived experience of treatment through a semi-structured interview at follow-up."
  • "Assessments at each visit include 3T structural MRI, resting-state functional MRI, and dedicated hypothalamic (sella) imaging; a neurobehavioral and interoceptive battery administered to the adolescent along with selected parent-report measures; anthropometrics; and saliva and fasting blood collection for biomarker measurement and biobanking."
  • "Routine-type laboratory measures (e.g., HbA1c, ALT, lipids) are assayed on the research blood sample."
Compensation
Not stated
  • Study-related exams and procedures are typically provided at no cost. This is how many trials work in general — confirm the details for this study with the study team.
  • Participants are monitored closely by the research team throughout the study.
  • Some participants may receive access to an investigational treatment, which is still being studied.
  • Your participation helps researchers learn whether this approach could help future patients.

About this study

This single-site, prospective observational pilot study examines how clinically prescribed semaglutide is associated with changes in the adolescent brain, cognition, mood, interoception, and metabolic and biological markers. Adolescents 12 to 15 years old with obesity (body mass index at or above the 95th percentile for age and sex), whose own treating physician has independently decided to start weekly subcutaneous semaglutide (Wegovy) as part of routine care, complete multimodal assessments before starting the medication and again after approximately 6 months of treatment. Assessments at each timepoint include 3T structural and resting-state functional MRI, a neurobehavioral and interoceptive battery, and saliva and blood collection for biomarker analysis and biobanking; a semi-structured qualitative interview is conducted at the follow-up visit. The study does not provide, prescribe, or modify the medication-all treatment decisions are made by the participant's own physician. The primary goal is to characterize within-subject changes in resting-state functional connectivity, brain structure, cognition, and eating- and reward-related behavior associated with GLP-1 receptor agonist treatment during adolescence, and to interpret these measures relative to normative neuroimaging and cognitive data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.

Compensation is read from the study's own description and may be missing — always confirm with the study team.

Eligibility

Official eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria: * Adolescents 12 to 15 years old at enrollment * Obesity, defined as body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile for age and sex and below 160% of the 95th percentile * The participant's own treating physician has independently decided to initiate weekly subcutaneous semaglutide (with a planned maintenance dose of at least 1.7 mg per week) as part of routine clinical care * Able to undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) * Parent/guardian permission and participant assent Exclusion Criteria: * Any contraindication to MRI (e.g., non-removable implanted metal or electronic device, or fixed metal orthodontic hardware) * Current or prior use of a GLP-1 receptor agonist, or recent discontinuation * Pregnancy * Current treatment with a GnRH analog or gender-affirming hormone therapy * Any medical, neurological, or developmental condition that, in the investigator's judgment, would prevent completion of study procedures or confound the imaging or cognitive measures

Study sites (1)

MA