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3D infrared scans may reveal hidden malnutrition in anorexia — a study puts the idea to the test

NCT ID NCT07726524

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of California, San Francisco Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 24, 2026 · Last updated Jul 24, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether 3D infrared body scanning can better assess malnutrition in adolescents and young adults hospitalized with anorexia nervosa. Researchers will measure body composition and track how organ and tissue stores relate to medical stability, nutritional needs, and recovery over the next year. The goal is to move beyond simple weight checks and develop more individualized approaches to refeeding and recovery.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

What this could lead to
If successful, this approach could lead to more personalized nutritional rehabilitation plans for people with eating disorders, potentially improving recovery and reducing complications.
What could go wrong
This is an early observational study with only 90 participants, so findings may not apply to all patients. The scanning technology may not reliably predict clinical outcomes.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

About 90 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Jan 2027

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

May 2031

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

Adolescents and young adults ages 15 to 26 hospitalized with medical instability and malnutrition due to atypical anorexia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, or extreme anorexia nervosa, enrolled at admission at two clinical sites (UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital and the ACUTE Center for Eating Disorders and Malnutrition at Denver Health).

Ages

15 to 26 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of anorexia nervosa (AN) or atypical anorexia nervosa (AAN), restricting or purging subtype, per DSM-5 * Age 15 to 26 years * Medical instability warranting an inpatient hospitalization defined by either: 1. vital signs: daytime heart rate below 50 bpm or nighttime heart rate below 45 bpm, blood pressure below 90/50 mm Hg, temperature below 36 C, orthostatic increase in heart rate above 20 bpm or decrease in systolic blood pressure above 20 mm Hg or decrease in diastolic blood pressure above 10 mm Hg from lying to standing, or median BMI below 75 percent; or 2. laboratory abnormality: AST above 40 IU/L, ALT above 30 IU/L, estimated GFR below 90 or cystatin C below 0.7 mg/L, albumin below 3.7 g/dL, or prealbumin below 20 mg/dL * Extreme AN is defined as BMI below 15 kg/m2 or serious medical complications warranting admission to ACUTE (Denver Site). Exclusion Criteria: * Bulimia nervosa * Another primary diagnosis causing malnutrition (not an eating disorder) * Current active suicidality * Metal implants or devices that interfere with study procedures

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anorexia nervosa binge eating disorder Feeding and Eating Disorders Malnutrition nutritional deficiency disease refeeding syndrome

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Anorexia in adolescence Anorexia nervosa Anorexia nervosa restricting type Anorexia nervosa with significantly low body weight Anorexia nervosa, atypical Anorexia nervosa, binge eating/purging type Body composition changes Growth & development Malnutrition (calorie) Malnutrition severe

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • ACUTE Center for Eating Disorders and Malnutrition at Denver Health

    Denver, Colorado, 80204, United States

  • University of California, San Francisco Benioff Children's Hospital

    San Francisco, California, 94158, United States

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