Erin Mauney
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.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists such as semaglutide are increasingly prescribed to adolescents with obesity, but their effects on the developing adolescent brain are not well understood. This observational pilot study uses a within-subject, pre-post design to characterize the neurobiological, cognitive, behavioral, and biological changes associated with approximately 6 months of clinically prescribed semaglutide in adolescents. Participants are adolescents 12 to 15 years old with obesity whose treating physician has independently decided to initiate weekly subcutaneous semag…
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…
Weekly subcutaneous semaglutide (a GLP-1 receptor agonist), prescribed and managed by the participant's own physician as part of routine clinical care and titrated per the approved pediatric schedule to a maintenance dose of at least 1.7 mg per week. The study observes participants during treatment but does not administer, provide, or modify the medication.