One of the basic properties of the nervous system to repeated stimulation is habituation. Eating involves the repeated presentation of food cues, which should lead to habituation. Basic animal and human research has shown that a variety of responses related to eating habituate over repeated food presentations. The habituated response can be dishabituated by presentation of novel food or by presenting an environmental event that requires allocation of processing resources. Habituation may help understand why food variety, and stimuli such as television watching are associated with increases in intake. All of the research with humans to date has been done with adults. The purpose of this grant is to extend this research to children. Six experiments are proposed in the grant. The first two experiments evaluate novel food and food variety as factors that influence habituation to repeated food cues. Experiments 3-5 evaluate the influence of non-food stimuli on habituation to food cues. Experiment 3 assesses differences in allocation of processing resources by comparing controlled and automatic search tasks on habituation. Experiments 4 and 5 assess the influence of two common distractors during eating on habituation, watching videos and reading. Experiment 6 evaluates whether food variety has similar effects on salivary habituation and changes in motivated responding to obtain and consume food. These studies will provide a theoretical basis for oral habituation and eating in children, and may provide behavioral mechanisms that influence eating and body weight in children which may be important in understanding methods to prevent obesity in youth.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01HD044725-01
Application #
6673383
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-RPHB-2 (01))
Program Officer
Grave, Gilman D
Project Start
2003-08-01
Project End
2006-05-31
Budget Start
2003-08-01
Budget End
2004-05-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$353,250
Indirect Cost
Name
State University of New York at Buffalo
Department
Pediatrics
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
038633251
City
Buffalo
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14260
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Epstein, Leonard H; Robinson, Jodie L; Roemmich, James N et al. (2011) Slow rates of habituation predict greater zBMI gains over 12 months in lean children. Eat Behav 12:214-8
Epstein, Leonard H; Robinson, Jodie L; Roemmich, James N et al. (2010) What constitutes food variety? Stimulus specificity of food. Appetite 54:23-9
Epstein, Leonard H; Robinson, Jodie L; Temple, Jennifer L et al. (2009) Variety influences habituation of motivated behavior for food and energy intake in children. Am J Clin Nutr 89:746-54
Epstein, Leonard H; Temple, Jennifer L; Roemmich, James N et al. (2009) Habituation as a determinant of human food intake. Psychol Rev 116:384-407
Epstein, Leonard H; Robinson, Jodie L; Temple, Jennifer L et al. (2008) Sensitization and habituation of motivated behavior in overweight and non-overweight children. Learn Motiv 39:243-255
Temple, Jennifer L; Giacomelli, April M; Roemmich, James N et al. (2008) Dietary variety impairs habituation in children. Health Psychol 27:S10-9
Temple, Jennifer L; Giacomelli, April M; Roemmich, James N et al. (2008) Habituation and within-session changes in motivated responding for food in children. Appetite 50:390-6
Epstein, Leonard H; Leddy, John J; Temple, Jennifer L et al. (2007) Food reinforcement and eating: a multilevel analysis. Psychol Bull 133:884-906
Temple, Jennifer L; Giacomelli, April M; Kent, Kristine M et al. (2007) Television watching increases motivated responding for food and energy intake in children. Am J Clin Nutr 85:355-61

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