Brain scans reveal why eating triggers Binge-Purge cycles
NCT ID NCT05995496
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at how eating changes brain activity related to self-control in women with bulimia nervosa. Researchers will use MRI scans to compare brain responses after fasting versus after a meal. The goal is to understand why control breaks down, leading to cycles of bingeing and purging.
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 could reveal why people with bulimia lose control after eating, pointing toward new psychological or behavioral treatments.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early observational study, not a treatment trial. It may not lead to direct therapies, and results may not apply to all patients.
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.
- 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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About 150 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2023
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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 to 45 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: * Female * Aged 18 to 45 years * Current BMI greater than or equal to 18.5kg/m2 but under 30kg/m2 * Right-handed * English-speaking Additional Inclusion Criteria for Women with Bulimia Nervosa: * Meet DSM-5 criteria for bulimia nervosa Exclusion Criteria: * Medical instability * Ongoing medical treatment, medical condition, or psychiatric disorder that may interfere with study variables or participation * Shift work * Pregnancy, planned pregnancy, or lactation during the study period * Allergy to any of the ingredients in or unwillingness to consume the standardized meal or unwillingness to drink water during the fasting period * Any contraindication for fMRI
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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Center of Excellence in Eating and Weight Disorders at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
RECRUITINGNew York, New York, 10029, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Brain zaps and text alerts: new hope for bulimia?