NCT07409025

Sensory Stimulation as a Driver of Diet-induced Thermogenesis

SEnsory stimulatioN aS A Driver of dieT-induced Thermogenesis - the SENSATION Trial

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 24 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study aims to assess the influence of sensory stimulation on diet-induced energy expenditure by way of a clinical cross-over trial in 24 healthy participants either receiving a meal bolus with (orally) and without sensory stimulation (nasogastric-tube).

Detailed description

Here, the investigators postulate sensory stimulation (i.e. the sight, smell, auditory and tactile properties, as well as the taste of food) to be drivers of diet induced thermogenesis, an insufficiently understood mechanism of body weight regulation. Research into this area to date has focused on macro-nutrient composition delivered unphysiologically (i.v. or in form of unpalatable solutions). Thereby neglecting the bulk of food-intake associated sensory stimulation and thus the contribution of the brain itself. The investigators aim to gain insight into the role of sensory stimulation in this context by means of a cross-over proof-of concept exploratory clinical trial. Comparing 24 healthy human volunteers receiving a meal bolus with (orally) and without sensory stimulation (nasogastric-tube) by indirect calorimetry, tissue-adjacent temperature measurements and ex vivo analyses.

Conditions

• Diet-induced Thermogenesis
• Sensory Function

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	sensory exposure	Administration of a full meal orally ("regular eating") in study visit A
PROCEDURE	sensory deprivation	Administration of a full meal via nasogastric tube in study visit B (thereby masking it from the senses)

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-03-15
• Primary completion: 2027-06-01
• Completion: 2027-06-01
• First posted: 2026-02-13
• Last updated: 2026-02-13

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Switzerland