Clinical Research Directory

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

Sponsor: Erin Mauney

Summary

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.

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