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Finding Treatments for Eating Disorders (FED)

Primary Purpose

Anorexia in Adolescence

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phase
Not Applicable
Locations
Canada
Study Type
Interventional
Intervention
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Sponsored by
University of Calgary
About
Eligibility
Locations
Arms
Outcomes
Full info

About this trial

This is an interventional treatment trial for Anorexia in Adolescence focused on measuring Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Adolescence, Anorexia

Eligibility Criteria

12 Years - 18 Years (Child, Adult)All SexesDoes not accept healthy volunteers

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa (AN) by medical and psychiatric assessment at the Calgary Eating Disorder Program.
  • English fluency (i.e., able to consent and assent to the study)
  • Aged 12 to 18
  • Medically stable
  • Medications for AN or psychiatric disorders are allowed if the dose has been stable for six weeks with adequate compliance, with a commitment to not change medication/dosage during the trial period. If a medication change occurs, the research team will document this.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of mania or psychosis
  • Impediments to TMS or MRI (i.e., braces, having non-MRI compatible metals in the body)
  • Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Diagnosis of post-concussive syndrome
  • Plans to move/be unavailable for clinic visits for 6 to 9 months after the start of treatment

Sites / Locations

  • Alberta Children's Hospital

Arms of the Study

Arm 1

Arm 2

Arm Type

Experimental

Sham Comparator

Arm Label

Active Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Sham Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Arm Description

rTMS parameters are intensity 110% resting motor threshold (RMT), frequency 1Hz, duration = 30 minutes (1800 stimulations), targeting the right DLPFC. To target the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) for rTMS treatment we will use the traditional method (i.e. the 5cm rule; George et al., 1995, 1996; Herwig et al., 2001, 2003; MacMaster et al., 2019), in which the TMS coil is placed 5 cm anterior to the participant's motor cortex along a line to the nasion. Treatments will occur on weekdays at the same time of day for 4 weeks (20 total).

For the sham rTMS group, a sham coil is used: this sham method does not emit any magnetic field, and therefor does not affect brain activity, but it does produce auditory sensations that is indistinguishable from active rTMS in naïve subjects

Outcomes

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome - Change in anxiety as measured by the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC-2) from baseline to 6 weeks.
Change in anxiety as measured by the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC-2) from baseline to 6 weeks in early non-responders to FBT receiving active rTMS as compared to those receiving sham-rTMS.
Primary Outcome - Number of subjects achieving weight restoration
Number of early non-responders to FBT who achieve weight restoration (i.e., >95% of expected mean BMI) at the end of active rTMS of the DLPFC treatment as compared to those receiving sham-rTMS.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Full Information

First Posted
June 21, 2021
Last Updated
February 22, 2022
Sponsor
University of Calgary
Collaborators
University of Alberta
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1. Study Identification

Unique Protocol Identification Number
NCT05249140
Brief Title
Finding Treatments for Eating Disorders
Acronym
FED
Official Title
Finding Treatments for Eating Disorders
Study Type
Interventional

2. Study Status

Record Verification Date
June 2021
Overall Recruitment Status
Not yet recruiting
Study Start Date
December 31, 2022 (Anticipated)
Primary Completion Date
January 31, 2025 (Anticipated)
Study Completion Date
May 31, 2025 (Anticipated)

3. Sponsor/Collaborators

Responsible Party, by Official Title
Sponsor
Name of the Sponsor
University of Calgary
Collaborators
University of Alberta

4. Oversight

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product
No
Product Manufactured in and Exported from the U.S.
No
Data Monitoring Committee
No

5. Study Description

Brief Summary
Currently, Family Based Treatment (FBT) is the leading evidence-based, manualized treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN). FBT emphasizes parental involvement in addressing disordered eating by supporting the child in eating and refeeding to achieve a healthy body weight and independent eating. Based on multiple RCTs, 50% of AN patients who receive FBT recover, and those who do not are more likely to develop a chronic illness. Research demonstrates that weight gain of less than 2.3kg (4.8 pounds) by week 4 of FBT predicts that 75% of adolescents with AN will not achieve weight restoration by the end of treatment. FBT works in part by reducing the avoidance of food and increasing the exposure to food triggers, like the treatment of anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Thus, researchers postulate that anxiety may be a negative predictor of FBT treatment outcome in the early phase of FBT. In addition, elevated baseline anxiety has been shown to be associated with poorer outcomes at end of treatment and may also impact the likelihood of early response. To improve clinical response, we need to develop viable biological treatment targets (i.e., brain areas implicated in anxiety) that could be combined with FBT. Such targets can be defined by 1) initially targeting brain areas that mediate symptoms hindering treatment response (i.e., anxiety), and 2) looking at changes in brain chemistry and function. Thus, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) could be an alternative and promising treatment approach for adolescents with AN who do not respond to Phase 1 of FBT. Using rTMS, we can target the brain areas implicated in anxiety in people with anorexia and modulate that activity to reduce symptoms, and thus, facilitate response to FBT. Several studies have shown the rTMS to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is effective in reducing anxiety across a range of neuropsychiatric disorders. Therefore, it is possible that stimulating the right DLPFC could facilitate treatment efficacy of FBT in youth with AN. Additional explorations of the connections between, and neurochemistry of, the right DLPFC and those mediating emotion in the brain (e.g., amygdala) could aid in our understanding of the networks impeding effective treatment responses and allow for more tailored, precision targeting with TMS.
Detailed Description
norexia nervosa (AN) is a serious psychiatric illness with the highest mortality rate of any other psychiatric disorder. Medical complications from starvation and malnutrition and suicide are the most common cause of death. AN is characterized by a person's fear of gaining weight, becoming fat, and body dissatisfaction, and it has a lifetime prevalence of 0.6 to 2.0% in females. Currently, Family Based Treatment (FBT) is the leading evidence-based, manualized treatment for adolescents with AN. FBT emphasizes parental involvement in addressing disordered eating by supporting the child in eating and refeeding in order to achieve a healthy body weight and independent eating. FBT has been shown to promote rapid weight gain in AN patients in several randomized control trials and reduced hospitalization in AN patients . Based on multiple RCTs, 50% of AN patients who receive FBT recover, and those who do not are more likely to develop a chronic illness. Research demonstrates that weight gain of less than 2.3kg (4.8 pounds) by week 4 of FBT predicts that 75% of adolescents with AN will not achieve weight restoration by the end of treatment . There continues to be limited empirical research and clinical knowledge about what differentiates those who consistently gain weight and those who do not in the critical window for weight gain in the first month of FBT. FBT works in part by reducing the avoidance of food and increasing the exposure to food triggers, similar to the treatment of anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Thus, researchers postulate that anxiety may be a negative predictor of FBT treatment outcome in the early phase of FBT. In addition, elevated baseline anxiety has been shown to be associated with poorer outcomes at end of treatment, and may also impact the likelihood of early response. While FBT is the first-line treatment for adolescents with AN, response is unfortunately not universal. An understanding of the neurobiology of AN could potentially improve treatment development and response. Unfortunately, the neurobiology of AN is poorly understood, and in turn, neuroscientifically-sound treatments are lacking. In order to improve clinical response, we need to develop viable biological treatment targets (i.e. brain areas implicated in anxiety) that could be combined with FBT. Such targets can be defined by 1) initially targeting brain areas that mediate symptoms hindering treatment response (i.e. anxiety), and 2) looking at changes in brain chemistry and function. Thus, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) could be an alternative and promising treatment approach for adolescents with AN who do not respond to Phase 1 of FBT. rTMS involves a safe, non-invasive, painless application of a magnetic field over the skull to a target brain area in order to change its activity and function. Using rTMS, we can target the brain areas implicated in anxiety in people with anorexia and modulate that activity to reduce symptoms, and thus, facilitate response to FBT. Several studies have shown the rTMS to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is effective in reducing anxiety across a range of neuropsychiatric disorders. Furthermore, some studies have shown that rTMS is effective in reducing core symptoms of anorexia in adults, however, this has yet to be explored in adolescents. Therefore, it is possible that stimulating the right DLPFC could facilitate treatment efficacy of FBT in youth with AN. Additional explorations of the connections between, and neurochemistry of, the right DLPFC and those mediating emotion in the brain (e.g. amygdala) could aid in our understanding of the networks impeding effective treatment responses and allow for more tailored, precision targeting with TMS.

6. Conditions and Keywords

Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
Anorexia in Adolescence
Keywords
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Adolescence, Anorexia

7. Study Design

Primary Purpose
Treatment
Study Phase
Not Applicable
Interventional Study Model
Parallel Assignment
Masking
ParticipantOutcomes Assessor
Allocation
Randomized
Enrollment
24 (Anticipated)

8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions

Arm Title
Active Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
rTMS parameters are intensity 110% resting motor threshold (RMT), frequency 1Hz, duration = 30 minutes (1800 stimulations), targeting the right DLPFC. To target the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) for rTMS treatment we will use the traditional method (i.e. the 5cm rule; George et al., 1995, 1996; Herwig et al., 2001, 2003; MacMaster et al., 2019), in which the TMS coil is placed 5 cm anterior to the participant's motor cortex along a line to the nasion. Treatments will occur on weekdays at the same time of day for 4 weeks (20 total).
Arm Title
Sham Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Arm Type
Sham Comparator
Arm Description
For the sham rTMS group, a sham coil is used: this sham method does not emit any magnetic field, and therefor does not affect brain activity, but it does produce auditory sensations that is indistinguishable from active rTMS in naïve subjects
Intervention Type
Device
Intervention Name(s)
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Intervention Description
rTMS involves a safe, non-invasive, painless application of a magnetic field over the skull to a target brain area in order to change its activity and function.
Primary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Primary Outcome - Change in anxiety as measured by the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC-2) from baseline to 6 weeks.
Description
Change in anxiety as measured by the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC-2) from baseline to 6 weeks in early non-responders to FBT receiving active rTMS as compared to those receiving sham-rTMS.
Time Frame
Six weeks
Title
Primary Outcome - Number of subjects achieving weight restoration
Description
Number of early non-responders to FBT who achieve weight restoration (i.e., >95% of expected mean BMI) at the end of active rTMS of the DLPFC treatment as compared to those receiving sham-rTMS.
Time Frame
Six weeks

10. Eligibility

Sex
All
Minimum Age & Unit of Time
12 Years
Maximum Age & Unit of Time
18 Years
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa (AN) by medical and psychiatric assessment at the Calgary Eating Disorder Program. English fluency (i.e., able to consent and assent to the study) Aged 12 to 18 Medically stable Medications for AN or psychiatric disorders are allowed if the dose has been stable for six weeks with adequate compliance, with a commitment to not change medication/dosage during the trial period. If a medication change occurs, the research team will document this. Exclusion Criteria: Diagnosis of mania or psychosis Impediments to TMS or MRI (i.e., braces, having non-MRI compatible metals in the body) Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis of post-concussive syndrome Plans to move/be unavailable for clinic visits for 6 to 9 months after the start of treatment
Central Contact Person:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name or Official Title & Degree
Frank P MacMaster, PhD
Phone
4039552784
Email
fmacmast@ucalgary.ca
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name or Official Title & Degree
Kayla D Stone, PhD
Phone
4039555447
Email
kayla.stone1@ucalgary.ca
Overall Study Officials:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Frank P MacMaster, PhD
Organizational Affiliation
University of Calgary
Official's Role
Principal Investigator
Facility Information:
Facility Name
Alberta Children's Hospital
City
Calgary
State/Province
Alberta
ZIP/Postal Code
T2N 1N4
Country
Canada
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Frank MacMaster, PhD
Phone
4039552784
Email
fmacmast@ucalgary.ca

12. IPD Sharing Statement

Plan to Share IPD
No
IPD Sharing Plan Description
We can share anonymous or aggregated data only upon request.

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Finding Treatments for Eating Disorders

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