Biobehavioral investigations of cooking (BioCook): A novel approach to understanding the neural and psychosocial dynamics of cooking

Authors

• NM Farmer
• R Hingst
• G Wallen

Abstract

Cooking is a dietary behavior that requires executive function for planning, sensory awareness, and both fine and gross motor skills. It offers psychological, social, and dietary benefits and is used as a therapeutic task in neurorehabilitation. However, existing literature mostly relies on self-reporting and lacks rigorous scientific investigation with objective metrics. The Biobehavioral Investigations of Cooking (BioCook) study introduces a novel framework to examine the neural dynamics of cooking by investigating its biological, psychological, and neural correlates. This research aims to inform the use of cooking in neurorehabilitation and develop interventions to address adverse psychosocial health. The study's primary goals are to determine the neural mechanisms involved in cooking, explore the relationships between neural and physiological responses, and assess their predictive value for psychological outcomes. BioCook will utilize multi-modal biometric and neurobiological measurements, including mobile EEG, heart rate variability monitoring, sensory system assessment, and salivary stress biomarkers, along with inactive video-guided phenomenological interviews. The study will involve 15 professional culinary participants and 15 non-professionals with low technical cooking skills and infrequent cooking habits. Professionals will be recruited first, followed by age and gender-matched non-professionals. All participants must be right-handed and free of neurological or psychological conditions, including mageirocophobia (fear of cooking). The primary objective of BioCook's initial phase is to establish a robust methodology for real-time assessment by evaluating the feasibility of multi-modal monitoring during cooking tasks. Future studies will build on this foundation to explore therapeutic interventions and alleviate cognitive and psychological burdens associated with home cooking.

Scientific Focus Area: Clinical Research

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