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Scientists scan brains to unlock secrets of anorexia and bulimia

NCT ID NCT05056597

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

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study uses brain scans (fMRI) to investigate how the brain processes 'liking', 'wanting', and learning in women with anorexia or bulimia. Researchers will compare 189 women with eating disorders to 63 healthy women, using computer tasks and a test meal. The goal is to understand brain differences that may drive these conditions.

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 brain mechanisms behind eating disorders, pointing toward new psychological or behavioral treatments.
What could go wrong
This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It may not directly lead to 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.

Participants

About 252 people

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

Started

May 2022

Expected to finish

Jan 2027

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

The study will recruit 189 adult women currently ill with ED including anorexia nervosa, restricting type (AN-R, n=63), AN binge eating/purging type (AN-BP, n=63), and bulimia nervosa (BN, n=63) and 63 healthy control (HC) women between the ages of 18 and 39.

Ages

18 to 39 years

Sex

Female participants only

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

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: Eating Disorder Group: * Between the ages of 18 and 39 years old * Meet DSM-V criteria for AN-R, AN-BP, or BN Healthy Control Group: * Between the ages of 18 and 39 years old * Have maintained 85% to 120% ideal body weight since menarche Exclusion Criteria: All Groups: * Psychotic illness/other mental illness requiring hospitalization * Current dependence on drugs or alcohol defined by DSM IV criteria. Additionally, positive test results for drug use on the day of the scan, apart of marijuana, will result in cancelling or rescheduling the scan because acute use will impact MRI measures. * Physical conditions (e.g. diabetes mellitus, pregnancy) known to influence eating or weight * Neurological disorder, neurodevelopmental disorder, or history of head injury with \>30 min loss of consciousness * Any contraindication to undergoing an MRI * Primary obsessive compulsive disorder or primary major depressive disorder Additional Exclusion Criteria for ED Group: -If taking other psychotropic medication, any change in dosage in the 2 weeks before scanning Additional Exclusion Criteria for Healthy Control Group: * Meet criteria for the diagnosis of any psychiatric disorder currently * Any history of binge eating or purging behaviors, including self-induced vomiting, laxative or diuretic misuse * Use of any psychoactive or other medication known to affect mood or concentration in the last 3 months

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anorexia nervosa bulimia nervosa

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Anorexia nervosa Bulimia nervosa

How to take part

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

  1. The places running it

    1 site. 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

  • UCSD Eating Disorders Treatment and Research Program

    RECRUITING

    La Jolla, California, 92121, United States

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