Neurofeedback for Anorexia Nervosa
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?
Anorexia nervosa (AN) and atypical AN (AAN) are severe psychiatric illnesses associated with high disease burden including high treatment costs and excessive mortality rates. Primary characteristics of AN and AAN are food restriction, associated fear of weight gain, and a disturbance in how one's body weight or shape is experienced.The underlying neural mechanisms for the core illness behaviors of food restriction and body size overestimation in anorexia nervosa and atypical anorexia nervosa are not well understood.This project will use neurofeedback and advanced psychophysical methods to assess and moderate the neural and behavioral responses to stress and relate those results to the naturalistic environment. The results will guide the development of novel interventions.
Research Team
Guido Frank, MD
Principal Investigator
University of California, San Diego
Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for individuals aged 18-45 with Anorexia Nervosa or Atypical Anorexia, who are right-handed (EHI-R LQ > +200), speak English primarily, and women must have a regular menstrual cycle. Excluded are those with psychiatric disorders, substance abuse issues, medical conditions affecting eating/weight, pregnancy/breastfeeding in the last 3 months, contraindications to MRI, or significant head trauma.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Study Days
Participants undergo fMRI during tasks for neurofeedback-reward learning and body size estimation on two study days, one week apart
Assessment
Participants are assessed for positive and negative affect and how it affects food intake before and after each scan, and in the week between scans
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after the study days
Treatment Details
Interventions
- Negative Affect Task
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
University of California, San Diego
Lead Sponsor