Active clinical trials for "Anorexia Nervosa"

This project proposes to perform a pilot study of fMRI targeted Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (DMPFC-rTMS) on individuals diagnosed with Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and Anorexia Nervosa (AN). The DMFPC is a novel target for rTMS, is heavily implicated in the regulation of mood and affect, and has been suggested to be involved in AN, BN, major depression, OCD, and PTSD. Improved function in this area might lead to reduced AN and BN symptoms, such as bingeing, purging, and over-activity, perhaps by improved regulation of mood and affect. Improvements in important areas of comorbidity might allow for better response to intensive treatment for AN and BN, and reduce relapse rates after such treatment. The DMPFC may be a more appropriate target for compared to the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC), which has typically been the focus of stimulation in the past. Our initial preliminary pilot work has noted unexpected and significant improvements in some core ED symptoms (bingeing and purging) and in important areas of comorbidity (OCD and PTSD), along with expected improvements in mood. These changes have allowed some treatment resistant patients to either complete intensive treatment or be successful in maintaining their progress post intensive treatment. Subjects will receive up to 30 sessions of bilateral DMPFC-rTMS. Response will be evaluated clinically, via psychometric measures, and pre and post fMRI.

Both behavioral, psychological, and cognitive differences related to social cognitive function have been related to illness-state in eating disorders, but interventions that directly target these problems are limited. This pilot intervention explores whether a brief art-therapy team-building intervention coupled with psychoeducation about social behavior can change self-concept or clinical symptoms in patients with eating disorders. Participants will complete pre-treatment assessments related to social behaviors and clinical symptoms, attend four two-hour group sessions, and provide two follow-up post-treatment assessments at 1-4 weeks after the treatment and 3-5 months later. Comparisons between the pre-intervention data and the first follow-up will be the primary outcome measures. The primary hypotheses are that participants will show increases in self-esteem and positive self-attributions and decreases in eating disorder symptoms after the intervention. The secondary hypothesis is that other clinical symptoms (depression, anxiety) will be improved after the intervention. Feedback from participants about their experience with the study will assess perceived benefits as well as acquisition of the psychoeducation targets.

UCAN is a research program funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and is part of the UNC Eating Disorders Program. UCAN aims to help couples work together in the treatment of anorexia nervosa. Couples participate in UCAN over a period of six months and return for follow-up treatment three months after the end of the original six-month period. Patients receive weekly individual therapy, monthly psychiatry consultations, monthly dietary consultations in addition to being randomized to one of two types of weekly couples therapy. Participation in UCAN can help participants gain new confidence in facing anorexia as a team and can help us understand how best to involve partners in the treatment of eating disorders.

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) has the highest mortality rate compared to any other psychiatric disorder. The most promising treatment for adolescents with AN is family-based treatment (FBT). However, only 50% of patients receiving FBT fully remit at 12-month follow-up. Consequently, providing an alternative therapy early in the treatment course for those not responding to FBT may enhance overall outcome. This study aims to develop a new treatment - Intensive Family-Focused Treatment (IFT) - to improve outcomes in those adolescents, aged 12-18 years, who do not show an early response to FBT.

To improve treatment for patients with severe anorexia nervosa admitted for inpatient care, and to help their families. Inpatients and their families will be offered a novel intervention which includes multimedia training materials. These materials provide guidance in how families can provide support to maintain and build on changes made during inpatient care

The proposed study of adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) will examine the association of behavioral differences in constructs of decision making, brain structure and connectivity, and eating disorder (ED) symptoms. This study tests the novel hypothesis that goal-directed and habit learning for reward and punishment is altered in AN and is uniquely associated with divergent symptoms and differences in corticostriatal connectivity and microstructural integrity. We will recruit 78 females currently ill with AN and 26 controls ages 13-17 to investigate how goal-directed and habit learning for reward and punishment correspond to 1) clinical symptoms collected via interviews, self-report assessments, and ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and 2) brain structure and connectivity in the resting state. Data collection will rely on a technology called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Decreased bone strength is a serious medical problem present in many women with Anorexia Nervosa, or disordered eating. Women with weaker bones are more likely to suffer broken bones than women with normal bone strength. We are investigating whether a hormone that is naturally produced by the human body, called growth hormone, can help strengthen the bones of women with this type of disordered eating.

This study compared 10 weeks of treatment with olanzapine versus placebo in adolescent females with anorexia nervosa-restricting type who were undergoing acute treatment on an inpatient unit or a day hospital program that specializes in the treatment of eating disorders.

Heightened performance monitoring and overcontrol (HPM/OC) is characterized by inflexibility, a need for control, perfectionism, anxious apprehension and high error monitoring. HPM/OC is a cross-diagnostic (transdiagnostic) characteristic occurring across multiple forms of psychiatric illness that emerge in adolescence, including anorexia nervosa (AN), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and social anxiety disorder. This study characterizes behavioral and neural HPM/OC in healthy adolescents and adolescents with disorders characterized by HPM/OC, including AN and related eating disorders and anxiety, depressive and obsessive compulsive disorders. We then examine feasibility of a novel treatment for HPM/OC in adolescents, examining recruitment feasibility, exploration of the mechanism of HPM/OC and examining whether treatment is able to target neural and behavioral HPM/OC.

Decreased bone strength is a common and serious medical problem present in many women with anorexia nervosa. Women with decreased bone strength are more likely to suffer broken bones than women with normal bone strength. This study will investigate whether the use of transdermal estrogen can improve bone mineral density (BMD) and bone microarchitecture in women with anorexia nervosa anorexia nervosa when used for 6 months.