We thank J. M. C. D. Meijer of theTechnical Development Studio of Wageningen University and Research for his help in the development of the mEETr tray. This research was funded by the 4 Dutch Technical Universities, 4TU- Pride and Prejudice project.

This pilot study was approved by the METC of Wageningen University prior to starting the project.
CAUTION: All the participants contributing to this project provided an informed consent, including the approval of video images showing visible and recognizable faces.
1. Sample preparation and participant consent
<ol>
	<li>Prepare a juice (glass or cup), fruit yoghurt (bowl), and fruit pieces (plate). 
	NOTE: These foods are selected for demonstration purposes only (Figure 2).</li>
	<li>Recruit a participant or a volunteer who agrees to participate in the study.</li>
	<li>Exclude the participants wearing glasses (who cannot use contact lenses) and/or having facial hair (beard or mustache) to avoid measurement errors.</li>
	<li>Inform the participants about the study and the data collection (data storage, accessibility). Obtain separate permissions in case of non-anonymous video recordings. Get the signature of the participant on the informed consent before collecting data.</li>
</ol>
2. Device and measurement location set-up
NOTE: This protocol is suited for data collection in a controlled (eating laboratory) setting.
<ol>
	<li>Make sure that the light in the room is evenly distributed-avoid shadows on participants&#39; faces.</li>
	<li>Avoid the background noise on the video recordings due to the presence of individuals other than the participant.</li>
	<li>Seat the participant on a chair before a table; with tabletop located just below the participant&#39;s chest.</li>
	<li>Connect the wireless receiver of the tray and the webcam to a laptop.</li>
	<li>Start up the laptop. Ensure that the laptop has the following specifications: CPU i7-10750H, SSD M.2 512 GB, Memory 1x 16 GB, DDR4 2933 MHz non-ECC-memory, Operating system 64 bit.</li>
	<li>Switch on the tray and ensure that there is charge in the tray (green light).</li>
	<li>Open the connector program (dos), the receiver, and the processor software program together with the dashboard, respectively.</li>
	<li>Check the incoming image quality in the processor program (Figure 3). 
	NOTE: To detect the eating behavior, the image quality should be within the last quarter of the task bar (green); as close to 100% green as possible. Shadow forming may lead to low image quality.</li>
	<li>Make sure the image frame is correct to prevent poor image quality. Ensure that the participant&#39;s head (above the cranium) till chest, including arms and shoulders are clearly visible.</li>
</ol>
3. Weighing system and data transport
<ol>
	<li>Validate the measures prior to the use of the mEETr for the first time. 
	NOTE: The mEETr device consists of a regular commercially available dining tray (fiber enforced epoxy dinner tray) with three built-in weighing stations (Figure 2).</li>
	<li>To validate the set-up, ensure that the tray continuously measures the weight of a plate, bowl, and drinking glass. 
	NOTE: The precision of the weighing scale across the whole range should be 0.3%.</li>
	<li>Do not place too much weight on each weighing platform. The maximum weight for the largest platform (dinner plate) is 1.5 kg. The maximum weight of the two smaller weighing platforms (bowl and glass) is 800 g. The minimum weight that can be accurately measured is 1 g for each weighing station.</li>
	<li>Make sure that the plate, the cup, and the bowl are not resting on the platform or the surrounding tray. Make use of the center ring to avoid this. 
	NOTE: Each weighing station consists of three triangle positioned force sensors that act together as one scale. A triangle position was chosen to balance weight.</li>
	<li>Make sure to keep the tray dry. The tray includes a 50 mm thin base panel (central circuit board) below the tray that contains the electronics.</li>
	<li>For data transfer, make sure that the tray connects to a wireless receiver. 
	NOTE: Transfer the weighing data at a 1 s interval via a short-range radio signal (about 1 m distance). Connect the receiver to a personal computer (PC) via an USB port.</li>
	<li>The three force sensors measure the forces (or weights), sum them up, and convert them to a calibrated weight value.</li>
	<li>Recharge the tray after each use. 
	NOTE: The tray is powered by an internal battery pack and can be charged with a USB charger. An on/off slide switch is located near to the USB socket. A full battery charge provides for about 20 h of use.</li>
	<li>Do not clean the tray in a dishwasher; the tray is not dishwasher proof. Clean the tray using a cleaning spray. Ensure that the tray is kept clean and dry. Leak channels along the platforms drain liquid spills.</li>
</ol>
4. Participant explanations and start of observation
<ol>
	<li>Place the mEETr in front of the participant.</li>
	<li>Instruct the participant to 1) eat as much or as little as he/she wants, 2) look straight into the webcam while eating, and 3) do not put hands in front of the face while eating.</li>
	<li>Start a new observation in the receiver software. Log the date, participant number, participant&#39;s gender, age, and anthropometric data, such as weight and height. Include additional information such as the study condition and the study visit in the observation name.</li>
	<li>Press Record in the receiver software to record the observation.</li>
	<li>Activate the dashboard in order to check the video recordings and the incoming data during data collection (Figure 4).</li>
	<li>Prior to the recording, ask the participant to 1) raise the card with the participant number, and 2) raise their hand at the start and end of the meal.</li>
	<li>End the observation when the participant finishes eating. It takes 2 min to transfer all the data to a spreadsheet.</li>
	<li>This is the end of the session for the participant.</li>
	<li>Disconnect the webcam and the tray-receiver from the laptop and clean it with a cleaning tissue or cleaning spray.</li>
</ol>
5. Evaluation and transfer of data
<ol>
	<li>Open the last observation in the receiver software. Automated measures of eating behavior are stored under the heading Data. Click on Export Data to extract the raw data. The subsequent output file contains data on the participant number, real time, relative (to start) time, and eating behavior variables (number of bites, number of chews, chewing duration) per test participant. 
	NOTE: All behaviors are time stamped. In the receiver software, additional external data of the tray can be extracted, for example, the data on the weight of each of the three trays. The data is recorded 10 times per second and transferred. The tray data collection time is synchronized with the eating behavior recordings.</li>
	<li>Summarize and visualize the results in different bar charts within the program itself. Export the results as raw data in log files (.xsl) (Figure 5).</li>
	<li>Export the log files to a spreadsheet and perform the data analysis using the statistical program of preference.</li>
	<li>Clean the data before data analysis. 
	&#8203;NOTE: Due to the distortions of pressing with cutlery on the plates (causing an increase in weight), weighing data of the tray needs to be cleaned to a Kaplan Meier curve with step size indicating bite size, the step length indicating time between bites. The beginning of the curve indicates start-weight, the last step indicates end-weight) as follows.
	<ol>
		<li>Smoothen over the timepoints to measurements per second to filter out extreme values.</li>
		<li>Set 5 g boundary, detect weight plateaus (i.e., no change within +/- 5 g), and weight changes (changes over time larger than 5 g) to indicate bite sizes and portion changes.</li>
		<li>Exclude weight increase due to cutlery remaining on the plate. 
		NOTE: The output is the total weight changes per weight station begin and end of meal (= meal size), average bite size, and bites per min.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>To determine eating rate (g/sec) and bite size (g/bite) changes over the course of the meal, manually integrate the tray weight data and the eating behavior (Figure&#160;6,&#160;Figure 7,&#160;Figure 8,&#160;Figure 9,&#160;Figure&#160;10).</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Burrows, T. L., Ho, Y. Y., Rollo, M. E., Collins, C. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Validity+of+dietary+assessment+methods+when+compared+to+the+method+of+doubly+labeled+water:+A+systematic+review+in+adults.">Validity of dietary assessment methods when compared to the method of doubly labeled water: A systematic review in adults.</a> Frontiers in Endocrinology. 10, 850 (2019).</li><li>Brouwer-Brolsma, E. M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Dietary+intake+assessment:+From+traditional+paper-pencil+questionnaires+to+technology-based+tools.+Environmental+software+systems.+Data+science+in+action.">Dietary intake assessment: From traditional paper-pencil questionnaires to technology-based tools. Environmental software systems. Data science in action.</a> Advances in Information and Communication Technology. 554, (2020).</li><li>Palese, A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=What+nursing+home+environment+can+maximise+eating+independence+among+residents+with+cognitive+impairment?+Findings+from+a+secondary+analysis.">What nursing home environment can maximise eating independence among residents with cognitive impairment? Findings from a secondary analysis.</a> Geriatric Nursing. 41 (6), 709-716 (2020).</li><li>Krop, E. M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Influence+of+oral+processing+on+appetite+and+food+intake+-+A+systematic+review+and+meta-analysis.">Influence of oral processing on appetite and food intake - A systematic review and meta-analysis.</a> Appetite. 125, 253-269 (2018).</li><li>Nicolas, E., Veyrune, J. L., Lassauzay, C., Peyron, M. A., Hennequin, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Validation+of+video+versus+electromyography+for+chewing+evaluation+of+the+elderly+wearing+a+complete+denture.">Validation of video versus electromyography for chewing evaluation of the elderly wearing a complete denture.</a> Journal of Oral Rehabilitation. 34 (8), 566-571 (2007).</li><li>Sabin, M. A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+novel+treatment+for+childhood+obesity+using+Mandometer&#174;+technology.">A novel treatment for childhood obesity using Mandometer&#174; technology.</a> International Journal of Obesity. 7, (2006).</li><li>Hermsen, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Evaluation+of+a+Smart+fork+to+decelerate+eating+rate.">Evaluation of a Smart fork to decelerate eating rate.</a> Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 116 (7), 1066-1068 (2016).</li><li>vanden Boer, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+splendid+eating+detection+sensor:+Development+and+feasibility+study.">The splendid eating detection sensor: Development and feasibility study.</a> JMIR mHealth and uHealth. 6 (9), 170 (2018).</li><li>Papapanagiotou, V., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+novel+chewing+detection+system+based+on+ppg,+audio,+and+accelerometry.">A novel chewing detection system based on ppg, audio, and accelerometry.</a> IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics. 21 (3), 607-618 (2016).</li><li>Ioakimidis, I., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Description+of+chewing+and+food+intake+over+the+course+of+a+meal.">Description of chewing and food intake over the course of a meal.</a> Physiology &amp; Behavior. 104 (5), 761-769 (2011).</li><li>Ruiz, L. D., Zuelch, M. L., Dimitratos, S. M., Scherr, R. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Adolescent+obesity:+Diet+quality,+psychosocial+health,+and+cardiometabolic+risk+factors.">Adolescent obesity: Diet quality, psychosocial health, and cardiometabolic risk factors.</a> Nutrients. 12 (1), 43 (2020).</li><li>Forde, C. G., van Kuijk, N., Thaler, T., de Graaf, C., Martin, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Oral+processing+characteristics+of+solid+savoury+meal+components,+and+relationship+with+food+composition,+sensory+attributes+and+expected+satiation.">Oral processing characteristics of solid savoury meal components, and relationship with food composition, sensory attributes and expected satiation.</a> Appetite. 60 (1), 208-219 (2013).</li><li>Weijzen, P. L. G., Smeets, P. A. M., de Graaf, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Sip+size+of+orangeade:+effects+on+intake+and+sensory-specific+satiation.">Sip size of orangeade: effects on intake and sensory-specific satiation.</a> British Journal of Nutrition. 102 (07), 1091-1097 (2009).</li><li>Zijlstra, N., de Wijk, R. A., Mars, M., Stafleu, A., de Graaf, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effect+of+bite+size+and+oral+processing+time+of+a+semisolid+food+on+satiation.">Effect of bite size and oral processing time of a semisolid food on satiation.</a> The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 90 (2), 269-275 (2009).</li><li>Bolhuis, D. P., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Slow+food:+sustained+impact+of+harder+foods+on+the+reduction+in+energy+intake+over+the+course+of+the+day.">Slow food: sustained impact of harder foods on the reduction in energy intake over the course of the day.</a> PloS One. 9 (4), 93370 (2014).</li><li>Grinyer, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+anonymity+of+research+participants:+assumptions,+ethics+and+practicalities.">The anonymity of research participants: assumptions, ethics and practicalities.</a> Social Research Update. 36 (1), 4 (2002).</li></ol>

The mEETr device and accompanied software have been developed in cooperation with a commercial partner; Noldus Information technology. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

A healthy diet and a healthy eating behavior have shown to play a key role in the prevention of and solution to overweight and obesity11. However, many of the methods used to measure the dietary intake and the eating behavior are burdensome for users, researchers, and health-care professionals and may be biased as they are dependent on memory and portion size estimations. Using the mEETr, independently or alongside conventional video and dietary assessment methods, would decrease the effort and th...

An erratum was issued for:&#160;<a href="https://www.jove.com/t/62144">Concept Development and Use of an Automated Food Intake and Eating Behavior Assessment Method</a>. An author name was updated.
The name was updated from:
Cees de Graaf
to:
Kees de Graaf

An erratum was issued for:&#160;<a href="https://www.jove.com/t/62144">Concept Development and Use of an Automated Food Intake and Eating Behavior Assessment Method</a>. An author name was updated.

Erratum: Concept Development and Use of an Automated Food Intake and Eating Behavior Assessment Method

In nutrition research and dietary practice, it is key to have good measures of what, how much, and how people eat, to find solutions to the overweight and obesity problems. To assess dietary intake, often conventional self-report questionnaires are used such as food diaries, 24 h recalls or food frequency questionnaires1. These methods rely on self-report and are therefore time-consuming and prone to bias due to social-desirable answers, memory inadequacy, and difficulties in estimating portion sizes2,3. In addition to measures of the diet quality (food type and amount eaten), it is also important to know how the food is eaten, as eating behaviors that slow down food intake have been shown to prevent overconsumption within a meal4. To assess eating behavior the golden standard is to have two observers annotate video recordings of people eating a meal5. This method is rather labor intensive and time consuming and does not allow for immediate feedback on the behavior.
Recent technological advances now provide the opportunity to combine automated measures of food intake with automated measures of the eating behavior over the course of a meal. In response to these developments, a new sensor-based dietary assessment method was developed, called the mEETr, the acronym of the two Dutch words &#39;Meter&#39; (translated: measuring device), and &#39;eet&#39; (translated: to eat). The mEETr is a regular dining tray with three built-in weighing stations (Figure 1 demonstrates the design of the tray and the sensor plates) and a camera holder. Each weighing station consists of three triangularly positioned measurement points to distribute the weight. The weighing stations measure the weight of the bowl, plate, and drinking cup or glass continuously over the meal. The mEETr also includes a video-camera holder. Currently, the camera holder is separate from the tray, but for standardization purposes an integrated camera after the next upgrade of mEETr (a folding video camera stick) would be ideal. The camera facilitates automated real-time analysis of the number of bites and chews, and eating duration, which allows for the generation of information on the eating rate and the bite size. Automated analysis of eating behavior is done with the use of a newly developed algorithm. Various research groups have developed devices to provide people real-time feedback on the acceleration of eating and the quantity people eat6. Also, augmented forks have been developed to provide real-time feedback on the number of bites and their frequency within a meal7. Additionally, an ear sensor was developed to measure the microstructure of eating in free living conditions8,9. Similar to this device is the set-up used by Ioakimidis et al.10, where video measures were combined with a weighing plate to determine the food intake, number of bites, and chewing behavior.
Compared to these devices the novelty of the mEETr is that it combines automated measures of food intake of two plates and a drinking cup (n = 3) and eating behavior (e.g., eating rate, number of bites, bite size, and chewing behavior) in one device. The mEETr, as demonstrated, is suited for within meal measures of food intake and eating behavior within a controlled (eating lab) environment, but eventually the aim is to use the mEETr in less controlled environments where re-occurring meal plans are used such as daycares, elderly-homes, and hospitals.
Ultimately, the mEETr will provide a more objective, and as such, more accurate and precise measure of food intake and eating behavior than conventional dietary assessment methods and manual coding of videos. Better measures of the food intake would benefit nutrition and health research, but also the health professionals in their challenge to combat the increase in food-related non-communicable diseases11. Ultimately the mEETr can be used in research and health-care settings as well as by health-conscious users at home by linking the mEETr to existing technologies and software, such as other health apps or smart watches. Overall, these health measures provide the user or the health-care professional with a rather diverse and complete overview of a variety of health-behavior patterns (e.g., food intake, eating behavior, energy expenditure based on real-life measures, sleep, stress) enabling the user to optimize their diet and create a healthy lifestyle.

<table><tbody><tr><td>Battery</td><td>na</td><td>na</td><td>Battery pack (LiPo) and charge electronics via an USB port connector. No data from this port.</td></tr><tr><td>Connector program</td><td>Noldus</td><td></td><td>Noldus Information technology software dashboard nview</td></tr><tr><td>Dinner tray</td><td>na</td><td>na</td><td>Standard dinner tray from glass inforced epoxy</td></tr><tr><td>Larger scale</td><td>na</td><td>na</td><td>One high range custom made scale based on a triple force sensor method.</td></tr><tr><td>Mainboard</td><td>na</td><td>na</td><td>A mainboard converting the three scale measurements to calibrated weight numbers. This board also contains the low power short range RF transmitter.</td></tr><tr><td>OS Windows</td><td>Microsoft</td><td></td><td>windows 10 Pro 64 bit</td></tr><tr><td>Processor program</td><td>Noldus</td><td></td><td>Noldus Information technology software FaceReader</td></tr><tr><td>Receiver program</td><td>Noldus</td><td></td><td>Noldus Information technology software Observer</td></tr><tr><td>RF receiver</td><td>na</td><td>na</td><td>Custom build USB converter connected to a RF receiver. This receiver has a squelch setting for making it low range sensitive.</td></tr><tr><td>Small scales</td><td>na</td><td>na</td><td>Two low range custom made scales based on a triple force sensor method.</td></tr></tbody></table>

concept development and use of an automated food intake and eating behavior assessment method

The vast majority of dietary and eating behavior assessment methods are based on self-reports. They are burdensome and also prone to measurement errors. Recent technological innovations allow for the development of more accurate and precise dietary and eating behavior assessment tools that require less effort for both the user and the researcher. Therefore, a new sensor-based device to assess food intake and eating behavior was developed. The device is a regular dining tray equipped with a video camera and three separate built-in weighing stations. The weighing stations measure the weight of the bowl, plate, and drinking cup continuously over the course of a meal. The video camera positioned to the face records eating behavior characteristics (chews, bites), which are analyzed using artificial intelligence (AI)-based automatic facial expression software. The tray weight and the video data are transported at real-time to a personal computer (PC) using a wireless receiver. The outcomes of interest, such as the amount eaten, eating rate and bite size, can be calculated by subtracting the data of these measures at the timepoints of interest. The information obtained by the current version of the tray can be used for research purposes, an upgraded version of the device would also facilitate the provision of more personalized advice on dietary intake and eating behavior. Contrary to the conventional dietary assessment methods, this dietary assessment device measures food intake directly within a meal and is not dependent on memory or the portion size estimation. Ultimately, this device is therefore suited for daily main meal food intake and eating behavior measures. In the future, this technology based dietary assessment method can be linked to health applications or smart watches to obtain a complete overview of exercise, energy intake, and eating behavior.

A slower ingestion rate (Figure 7), smaller sip/bite sizes (Figure 8), and more chews (Figure 9) led to lower intake of the salad compared to the yoghurt and juice (Figure 6) as measured by the mEETr tray. The participants ate 17% less of the fruit salad compared to the fruit juice. All the eating behavior characteristics differed between the juice, yoghurt, and salad (Figure 7</str...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Concept Development and Use of an Automated Food Intake and Eating Behavior Assessment Method at JoVE.com

Concept Development and Use of an Automated Food Intake and Eating Behavior Assessment Method

This protocol shows and explains a new technology-based dietary assessment method. The method consists of a dining tray with multiple built-in weighing scales and a video camera. The device is unique in the sense that it incorporates automated measures of food and drink intake and eating behavior over the course of a meal.

The vast majority of dietary and eating behavior assessment methods are based on self-reports. They are burdensome and also prone to measurement errors. ...

concept-development-use-an-automated-food-intake-eating-behavior

Research

Education

JoVE Core

JoVE Journal

Nursing

Behavior

Unit 1

Introduction to Health

SCIENTISTS IN ACTION

5.6K Views.  Wageningen University & Research. Voedingsonderzoekers en diëtisten gebruiken indirecte maatregelen om de voedselinname te meten, zoals voedsel recalls. Met een meter kunnen we de daadwerkelijke voedselinname tijdens de maaltijd en ook het eetgedrag van mensen meten. Het grote voordeel van de meter is dat we nauwkeuriger kunnen meten hoeveel mensen eten met weinig inspanning van consumenten of patiënten.Deze techniek kan worden gebruikt om beter inzicht te krijgen in wat een individu eet. Dit kan vooral belangrijk zi...

Video: Concept Development and Use of an Automated Food Intake and Eating Behavior Assessment Method

A Novel Procedure for Evaluating the Reinforcing Properties of Tastants in Laboratory Rats: Operant Intraoral Self-administration

This paper describes a novel method for studying the bio-behavioral basis of addiction to food. This method combines the surgical component of taste reactivity with the behavioral aspects of operant self-administration of drugs. Under very brief general anaesthesia, rats are implanted with an intraoral (IO) cannula that allows delivery of test solutions directly in the oral cavity. Animals are then tested in operant self-administration chambers whereby they can press a lever to receive IO infusions of test solutions. IO self-administration has several advantages over experimental procedures that involve drinking a solution from a spout&#160;or operant responding for solid pellets or solutions delivered in a receptacle. Here, we show that IO self-administration can be employed to study self-administration of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Rats were first tested for self-administration on a progressive ratio (PR) schedule, which assesses the maximum amount of operant behavior that will be emitted for different concentrations of HFCS (i.e.&#160;8%, 25%, and 50%). Following this test, rats self-administered these concentrations on a continuous schedule of reinforcement (i.e.&#160;one infusion for each lever press) for 10 consecutive days (1 session/day; each lasting 3 hr), and then they were retested on the PR schedule. On the continuous reinforcement schedule, rats took fewer infusions of higher concentrations, although the lowest concentration of HFCS (8%) maintained more variable self-administration. Furthermore, the PR tests revealed that 8% had lower reinforcing value than 25% and 50%. These results indicate that IO self-administration can be employed to study acquisition and maintenance of responding for sweet solutions. The sensitivity of the operant response to differences in concentration and schedule of reinforcement makes IO self-administration an ideal procedure to investigate the neurobiology of voluntary intake of sweets.

The current study evaluates a novel procedure for assessing the reinforcing effects of palatable solutions in laboratory rats: intraoral self-administration. To this end, operant responding (i.e.&#160;lever pressing) for intraoral infusions of sweet solutions at different concentrations was measured on continuous and progressive ratios schedules of reinforcement.

This paper describes a novel method for studying the bio-behavioral basis of addiction to food. This method combines the surgical component of taste ...

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans

A key challenge in studying reward processing in humans is to go beyond subjective self-report measures and quantify different aspects of reward such as hedonics, motivation, and goal value in more objective ways. This is particularly relevant for the understanding of overeating and obesity as well as their potential treatments. In this paper are described a set of measures of food-related motivation using handgrip force as a motivational measure. These methods can be used to examine changes in food related motivation with metabolic (satiety) and pharmacological manipulations and can be used to evaluate interventions targeted at overeating and obesity. However to understand food-related decision making in the complex food environment it is essential to be able to ascertain the reward goal values that guide the decisions and behavioral choices that people make. These values are hidden but it is possible to ascertain them more objectively using metrics such as the willingness to pay and a method for this is described. Both these sets of methods provide quantitative measures of motivation and goal value that can be compared within and between individuals.

This article describes a set of methods for the measurement of food related motivation and food related goal values in humans.

A key challenge in studying reward processing in humans is to go beyond subjective self-report measures and quantify different aspects of reward such as ...

Feeding Experimentation Device (FED): Construction and Validation of an Open-source Device for Measuring Food Intake in Rodents

Food intake measurements are essential for many research studies. Here, we provide a detailed description of a novel solution for measuring food intake in mice: the Feeding Experimentation Device (FED). FED is an open-source system that was designed to facilitate flexibility in food intake studies. Due to its compact and battery powered design, FED can be placed within standard home cages or other experimental equipment. Food intake measurements can also be synchronized with other equipment in real-time via FED's transistor-transistor logic (TTL) digital output, or in post-acquisition processing as FED timestamps every event with a real-time clock. When in use, a food pellet sits within FED's food well where it is monitored via an infrared beam. When the pellet is removed by the mouse, FED logs the timestamp onto its internal secure digital (SD) card and dispenses another pellet. FED can run for up to 5 days before it is necessary to charge the battery and refill the pellet hopper, minimizing human interference in data collection. Assembly of FED requires minimal engineering background, and off-the-shelf materials and electronics were prioritized in its construction. We also provide scripts for analysis of food intake and meal patterns. Finally, FED is open-source and all design and construction files are online, to facilitate modifications and improvements by other researchers.

Feeding Experimentation Device FED: Construction and Validation of an Open-source Device for Measuring Food Intake in Rodents

Feeding Experimentation Device (FED) is an open-source device for measuring food intake in mice. FED can also synchronize food intake measurements with other techniques via a real-time digital output. Here, we provide a step-by-step tutorial for the construction, validation, and usage of FED.

Food intake measurements are essential for many research studies. Here, we provide a detailed description of a novel solution for measuring food intake in ...

Combining Quantitative Food-intake Assays and Forcibly Activating Neurons to Study Appetite in Drosophila

Food consumption is under the tight control of the brain, which integrates the physiological status, palatability, and nutritional contents of the food, and issues commands to start or stop feeding. Deciphering the processes underlying the decision-making of timely and moderate feeding carries major implications in our understanding of physiological and psychological disorders related to feeding control. Simple, quantitative, and robust methods are required to measure the food ingestion of animals after experimental manipulation, such as forcibly increasing the activities of certain target neurons. Here, we introduced dye-labeling-based feeding assays to facilitate the neurogenetic study of feeding control in adult fruit flies. We review available feeding assays, and then describe our methods step-by-step from setup to analysis, which combine thermogenetic and optogenetic manipulation of neurons controlling feeding motivation with dye-labeled food intake assay. We also discuss the advantages and limitations of our methods, compared with other feeding assays, to help readers choose an appropriate assay.

Combining Quantitative Food-intake Assays and Forcibly Activating Neurons to Study Appetite in Drosophila

Quantitative food-intake assays with dyed food provide a robust and high-throughput means to evaluate feeding motivation. Combining the food consumption assay with thermogenetic and optogenetic screens is a powerful approach to investigate the neural circuits underlying appetite in adult Drosophila melanogaster.

Food consumption is under the tight control of the brain, which integrates the physiological status, palatability, and nutritional contents of the food, ...

Assessment of Social Transmission of Food Preferences Behaviors

Olfactory recognition deficits are suggested to be able to serve as clinical marker to differentiate Alzheimer&#39;s disease (AD) subjects from healthy aging groups. For example, olfactory dysfunction in AD can present as impairment in olfactory recognition, emerging during early stages of the disease and worsening while the disease progresses. The social transmission of food preferences (STFP) task is based on a rudimentary form of communication between rodents concerning distant foods dependent on the transmission of olfactory cues. Healthy wild-type mice would prefer to eat a novel, flavored food that was previously cued by a conspecific, and this food preference would be hampered in transgenic AD mice, such as the APP/PS1 model. Indeed, a strong preference for the cued food in C57Bl6/J mice of 3 months of age was found, and this was reduced in 3 months old transgenic APP/PS1 mice. In summary, STFP task could be a powerful measure to be integrated in present subclinical detection assays of AD.

This paper presents a protocol for the investigation of social transmission of food preference in mice. The advantages and possible applications for this procedure, for instance, in detecting early changes in AD mouse models, are highlighted. To conclude, interpretation of the results in light of critical details are discussed.

Olfactory recognition deficits are suggested to be able to serve as clinical marker to differentiate Alzheimer&#39;s disease (AD) subjects from healthy ...

Control of Eating Behavior Using a Novel Feedback System

Subjects eat food from a plate that sits on a scale connected to a computer that records the weight loss of the plate during the meal and makes up a curve of food intake, meal duration and rate of eating modeled by a quadratic equation. The purpose of the method is to change eating behavior by providing visual feedback on the computer screen that the subject can adapt to because her/his own rate of eating appears on the screen during the meal. The data generated by the method is automatically analyzed and fitted to the quadratic equation using a custom made algorithm. The method has the advantage of recording eating behavior objectively and offers the possibility of changing eating behavior both in experiments and in clinical practice. A limitation may be that experimental subjects are affected by the method. The same limitation may be an advantage in clinical practice, as eating behavior is more easily stabilized by the method. A treatment that uses this method has normalized body weight and restored the health of several hundred patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders and has reduced the weight and improved the health of severely overweight patients.

Subjects eat food from a plate placed on a scale connected to a computer that records the weight loss of the plate during the meal. Feedback on the computer screen allows the subject to adapt her/his eating behavior to reference curves thus normalizing body weight.

Subjects eat food from a plate that sits on a scale connected to a computer that records the weight loss of the plate during the meal and makes up a curve ...

Design and Evaluation of Smart Glasses for Food Intake and Physical Activity Classification

This study presents a series of protocols of designing and manufacturing a glasses-type wearable device that detects the patterns of temporalis muscle activities during food intake and other physical activities. We fabricated a 3D-printed frame of the glasses and a load cell-integrated printed circuit board (PCB) module inserted in both hinges of the frame. The module was used to acquire the force signals, and transmit them wirelessly. These procedures provide the system with higher mobility, which can be evaluated in practical wearing conditions such as walking and waggling. A performance of the classification is also evaluated by distinguishing the patterns of food intake from those physical activities. A series of algorithms were used to preprocess the signals, generate feature vectors, and recognize the patterns of several featured activities (chewing and winking), and other physical activities (sedentary rest, talking, and walking). The results showed that the average F1 score of the classification among the featured activities was 91.4%. We believe this approach can be potentially useful for automatic and objective monitoring of ingestive behaviors with higher accuracy as practical means to treat ingestive problems.

This study presents a protocol of designing and manufacturing a glasses-type wearable device that detects the patterns of food intake and other featured physical activities using load cells inserted in both hinges of the glasses.

This study presents a series of protocols of designing and manufacturing a glasses-type wearable device that detects the patterns of temporalis muscle ...

Engineering

Iterative Development of an Innovative Smartphone-Based Dietary Assessment Tool: Traqq

To collect dietary intake data in a fast and reliable manner, a flexible and innovative smartphone application (app) called Traqq was developed (iOS/Android). This app can be used as a food record and&#160;24-h recall (or shorter recall periods). Different sampling schemes can be created on either prespecified or random days/times within a predetermined period for both methods, with&#160;push notifications to urge the participants to register their food intake. In case of non-response, notifications are automatically rescheduled to ensure complete data collection. For use as a food record, respondents can access the app and log their food intake throughout the day. Food records close automatically at the end of the day; recalls close after submission of the consumed items. The recall as well as the food record module provide access to an extensive food list based on the Dutch food composition database (FCDB), which can be accustomed to fit different research purposes. When selecting a food item, respondents are simultaneously prompted to insert portion size, i.e., in household measures (e.g., cups, spoons, glasses), standard portion sizes (e.g., small, medium, large), or weight in grams, and eating occasion/time of consumption. Portion size options can be adjusted, e.g., only entry in grams in case of a weighed food record or time of consumption instead of eating occasion). The app also includes a My Dishes function, which allows the respondent to create their own recipes or product combinations (e.g., a daily breakfast) and only report the total quantity consumed. Subsequently, the app accounts for yield and retention factors. The data are stored on a secure server. If desired, additional questions, i.e., in general or those related to specific food items or eating occasions can be incorporated. This paper describes the development of the system (app and backend), including expert evaluations and usability testing.

This article describes the protocol for the development of an innovative smartphone-based dietary assessment application Traqq, including expert evaluations and usability testing.

To collect dietary intake data in a fast and reliable manner, a flexible and innovative smartphone application (app) called Traqq was developed ...

'Boden Food Plate': Novel Interactive Web-based Method for the Assessment of Dietary Intake

Different methods can be used in research to assess dietary intake, many of which are still paper-based. Written estimated food diaries are often utilized in clinical trials, despite being a burden for both study participants and researchers. This method requires participant literacy, it is time consuming, labor intensive, and can easily lead to under-reporting. With advancements in technology, there is a growing interest in electronic diaries that automate the dietary assessment process. These are focused on improving accuracy, reducing both time and cost and providing users with a visual and more enjoyable experience. The methodology presented here aimed to validate the &#39;Boden Food Plate&#39;, a novel web-based platform for self-recording of food and drink items, compared to a traditional estimated food diary. The application was also rated on a satisfaction scale by study participants using a paper-based questionnaire. Sixty-seven participants completed the dietary measures on both the three-day electronic and paper food diaries. For the analysis, only dietary data completed at both study time points (baseline and week six) was utilized. Despite small mean differences between dietary data collection methods, Bland Altman analysis showed fairly wide 95% limits of agreement between the electronic platform and the written estimated food diary and there were few cases which did not fall within the 95% confidence intervals. Overall, participants found the electronic food diary to be more fun than the paper method and as easy to use as hard copy diaries. The new platform has potential as a self-recording tool for the collection of dietary data, particularly when utilized in clinical trial settings. However, further validation studies are needed to improve the validity of this novel electronic dietary data collection tool.

The &#39;Boden Food Plate&#39; is an electronic food diary designed to be an interactive and fun method to collect dietary intake using visual depictions. The purpose of this study was to validate the web-based application against a traditional three-day estimated food diary method.

Different methods can be used in research to assess dietary intake, many of which are still paper-based. Written estimated food diaries are often utilized ...

Medicine

Sucrose Preference and Novelty-Induced Hypophagia Tests in Rats using an Automated Food Intake Monitoring System

The prevalence and incidence of depressive disorders are rising worldwide, affecting about 322 million individuals, underlining the need for behavioral studies in animal models. In this protocol, to study depression-like and anhedonic behavior in rats, the established sucrose preference and novelty-induced hypophagia tests are combined with an automated food and liquid intake monitoring system. Prior to testing, in the sucrose preference paradigm, male rats are trained for at least 2 days to consume a sucrose solution in addition to tap water. During the test, rats are again exposed to water and sucrose solution. Consumption is registered every second by the automated system. The ratio of sucrose to total water intake (sucrose preference ratio) is a surrogate parameter for anhedonia. In the novelty-induced hypophagia test, male rats undergo a training period in which they are exposed to a palatable snack. During training, rodents show a stable baseline snack intake. On test day, the animals are transferred from home cages into a fresh, empty cage representing a novel unknown environment with access to the known palatable snack. The automated system records the total intake and its underlying microstructure (e.g., latency to approaching the snack), providing insight into anhedonic and anxious behaviors. The combination of these paradigms with an automated measuring system provides more detailed information, along with higher accuracy by reducing measuring errors. However, the tests use surrogate parameters and only depict depression and anhedonia in an indirect manner.

Presented here is a protocol to study depression-like and anhedonic behavior in rats. It combines two well-established behavioral methods, the sucrose preference and novelty-induced hypophagia tests, with an automated food and liquid intake monitoring system, to indirectly investigate rodent behavior using surrogate parameters.

The prevalence and incidence of depressive disorders are rising worldwide, affecting about 322 million individuals, underlining the need for behavioral ...

Concept Development and Use of an Automated Food Intake and Eating Behavior Assessment Method

Samenvatting

Meer video's verkennen