Comparison of the chewing behaviour of patients suffering from obesity and healthy participants under resting and stress conditions

肥胖在德国的流行率超过20%。它增加了许多健康风险的人患有它的速度。根据自私的大脑理论，它的原因是（除其他外）错误的调节过程中的能量平衡在大脑中。下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺皮质轴（HPA轴）、促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子（CRF）和皮质醇是这些调节过程的主要因素。然而，应激诱导的CRF和皮质醇浓度因个体而异。因此，压力引起的CRF和皮质醇增加了一些人的食物摄入量，而另一些人则降低了食物摄入量。这些差异是由于应激条件下皮质醇浓度的个体差异引起的。目前尚不清楚在应激条件下较高的皮质醇浓度是否会导致较高的食物摄入率和较高的咀嚼频率。因此，本研究将研究静息和应激条件下的进食和咀嚼行为以及皮质醇浓度。心理社会压力将通过特里尔社会压力测试（TSST）诱导，这是一种心理社会压力测试。为了详细说明进食和咀嚼行为，使用了一种新的创新型记录设备，即咀嚼频率传感器。使用它，我们将能够研究应激诱导的皮质醇浓度是否会改变进食行为和咀嚼频率。这些信息可能会澄清伦理学过程，并成为预防进食障碍患者（例如神经性厌食症，神经性贪食症，肥胖症）健康风险的基础。

Obesity has a prevalence rate greater than 20 percent in Germany. It increases the rate of many health risks of the persons suffering from it. According to the selfish brain theory, reasons for it are (amongst others) faulty regulation processes of the energy balance in the brain. Main factors of these regulation processes are the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical-axis (HPA axis), the Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) and Cortisol. However, stress induced concentrations of CRF and Cortisol vary depending on the individual. Hence, stress induced CRF and Cortisol increase food intake for some persons, while it is lowered for others. These differences are caused due to individual differences in Cortisol concentrations under stress conditions. It is yet unknown whether higher Cortisol concentrations under stress conditions cause higher rates of food intake and higher chewing frequency. Therefore, eating and chewin behaviour and the Cortisol concentrations under resting and stress conditions shall be investigated in this study. Psychosocial stress will be induced by the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), a psychosocial stress test. To specify eating and chewing behaviour, a new, innovative recording device is uses, the chewing frequency sensor. Using it, we will be able to investigate if stress induced Cortisol concentrations could change the eating behaviour and the chewing frequency. These information might clarify ethiologic processes and be a basis for the prevention of health risks in patients suffering from eating disorders (e.g. Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, obesity).