Tapping away fear: simple technique may ease Post-Meal anxiety in eating disorders
NCT ID NCT07600970
First seen Jun 27, 2026 ยท Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This small pilot study tested whether a technique called bilateral stimulation (side-to-side tapping) could help people with eating disorders feel less anxious after eating foods they normally avoid. Eight adults in outpatient treatment either received standard care alone or standard care plus tapping after meals. The tapping group reported feeling less anxious and depressed right after the tapping sessions. The study was very small and needs more research to confirm the results.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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8 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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May 2023
- Finished
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Dec 2023
- Lead sponsor
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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.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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: * (1) aged older than 18 years; * (2) had a current DSM-5 diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, or other specified feeding and eating disorder; * (3) were deemed to be medically stable, defined as not requiring the use of a feeding tube; had a heart rate between 51-119 beats per minute at rest and blood pressure greater than 70/40 and less than 180/120 mmHg at rest; * (4) attending appointments at will; * (5) gave full consent (signed informed consent); and * (6) could choose to discontinue treatment and/or the study at any time with no consequences. Exclusion Criteria: * (1) aged under 18 years; * (2) had a current DSM-5 diagnosis of Pica syndrome, cyclical vomiting syndrome, or subclinical eating disorder; * (3) had medical instability, defined as a heart rate less than 50 or more than 120 beats per minute at rest, a blood pressure greater than 180/120 or less than 70/40 mmHg at rest, or orthostatic vital signs accompanied by fainting; and * (4) had acute suicide risk.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California, 94132, United States
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