Active clinical trials for "Anorexia Nervosa"

Current treatments for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with eating disorders (EDs) do not effectively address a central ED symptom - anxiety about weight gain - which contributes to poor outcomes. The proposed study evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, efficacy, and underlying mechanisms of an enhanced version of "open weighing," a cognitive-behavioral intervention designed to target anxiety about weight gain in AYAs with EDs. Understanding how to better treat AYAs with EDs, and identifying the mechanisms by which interventions lead to improvement, will aid in the development of more effective and personalized treatments, ultimately improving the lives of AYAs with EDs.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) has among the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness, yet we have a poor understanding of the biological causes of this disorder. In this study, we use a novel mechanosensory intervention to examine the basic question of whether individuals with AN have abnormal "gut sensations" and whether such indicators are associated with adverse consequences from the disorder.

Serotoninergic activity in brain structures involved in food control and avoidance, such as the basal ganglia, is poorly understood in Anorexia Nervosa.

In anorexia nervosa (AN) it still remains to be clarified, which psychiatric symptoms are the direct consequence of malnutrition and adaptation to starvation and which are not. There is clinical consensus that depression/anxiety and cognitive impairments in AN mainly are sequelae to the malnutrition. However, this consensus is largely based on experimental starvation studies of healthy subjects back in 1940s and from famine- and food programs in the third world, whereas evidence from studies on AN is lacking. The main objective of the study is in the detail to elucidate the short-term changes in the psychopathological profile, depression, anxiety, and cognitive functions in relations to intensive nutritional rehabilitation with weight gain of 10-30% in a specialized medical stabilization unit. Secondarily, it is examined whether cortisol levels are associated with depression/anxiety symptomatology and cognitive impairments. The hypothesis is that an improvement in nutritional status over a short time leads to clinically significant improvements in psychopathology and cognitive functions, which remain 2-3 months after discharge, making the patients more accessible to psychotherapy.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized by a reduced drive to pursue rewarding experiences and stimuli. Food consumption - which is almost universally experienced as pleasurable - is not described as rewarding by those with AN. This is thought to be underpinned by abnormalities around reward learning. However, the most fundamental question relating to reward in AN - whether those with AN may learn positive associations - remains unaddressed. In this study, the investigators will identify the patterns of how those with AN acquire positive associations, how they diminish, and their relationships to physiology (heart rate and pupil responses) and brain activation. In assessing the robustness of this learning, the investigators will investigate the extent to which this association is reactivated after 24 hours, and the extent to which a memory prompt will help reinstate this previously learned positive association. This project will allow for important advances in our understanding of the neurobiology of AN. The investigators will first identify if, and how, those with AN come to learn positive associations to cues, and secondly, the extent to which learned positive associations remain over time. Moreover, the investigators will use machine learning to ascertain whether reward learning can be predicted by physiological and neural biomarkers.

Clinical trial in patients with Anorexia Nervosa using body-swapping technique e Virtual Reality Body Size estimation tasks and Autobiographic Recall on sympton remission (EDI-3; EDE-Q), body satisfaction and perception

The investigators hypothesize that prolonged undernutrition in anorexia nervosa alters the microbiome to a different steady-state (dysbiotic) composition that sustains the disease, even after returning to normal diet. The investigators propose that transplanting a fully ecologically functioning GM from a healthy donor, through a FMT, can reboot the gut-brain-axis, ameliorate symptoms and improve clinical outcomes. To approach this, in the challenging AN patient group, the investigators want to conduct a FMT feasibility/pilot study.

Eating disorders (EDs) are severe chronic psychiatric disorders with a not fully understood etiopathogenesis. Previous studies have revealed some biological mechanisms of EDs. However, the etiology and maintenance mechanism of EDs, especially the neuro-mechanisms is still unknown. To explore the pathogenic mechanism and treatment biomarkers of EDs, we design this study. the multidimensional data including the clinicopathological features, neuroimaging data (functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging), electroencephalogram and inflammatory cytokines will be used to investigate the biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment effectiveness.

The study examines potential adverse side effects on family functioning and parent-child relationships of standard treatment family-based therapy (FBT) for anorexia nervosa (AN) in children and youths.

This Phase 2, open-label, multi-site study will explore the safety and feasibility of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy and adjunctive caregiver involvement in the treatment of 18 participants with eating disorders. The study will enroll 12 participants with anorexia nervosa restricting-type (AN-R) and six participants with binge eating disorder (BED). A supportive caregiver, such as a parent or partner, for each participant will also be recruited to participate in the study and receive non-drug psychotherapy support. The study will consist of Preparatory Sessions, Experimental Sessions of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, as well as Individual and Dyadic Integrative Sessions. A flexible dose of MDMA will be given during Experimental Sessions, ranging from 80 to 120 mg with a supplemental half-dose of 40 or 60 mg 1.5 to 2 hours later, respectively, unless contraindicated. The primary outcome measure is the change in Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) results from Baseline to Visit 16 (Study Termination).