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Brain scans reveal why anticipation fuels Binge-Purge cycles

NCT ID NCT04917068

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of Minnesota 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
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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 27, 2026 · Last updated Sep 15, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This study investigates how the brain processes anticipation of rewards in people with bulimia nervosa. Researchers will use brain scans (fMRI) and daily-life surveys to compare 100 participants—those with bulimia and healthy controls. The goal is to identify neural and psychological patterns that maintain binge eating and purging, which could inform future treatments.

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 key brain mechanisms behind bulimia, pointing toward new psychological or neural targets for treatment.
What could go wrong
This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It may not lead directly to new therapies, and results may not apply to all people with bulimia.

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

104 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Apr 2022

Expected to finish

Nov 2026

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

Adults with or without bulimia nervosa

Ages

18 to 55 years

Sex

Anyone

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: Bulimia nervosa (BN) and healthy control (HC) groups: * Right-handed * Ability to read and speak in English BN group only: * Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) diagnosis of BN (i.e., at least one objective bulimic episode and one self-induced vomiting episode per week for at three months) with binge episodes always accompanied by self-induced vomiting * Stable dose for at least 6 weeks of any recent changes in medication impacting mood, appetite, or weight HC group only: * No binge eating or purging episodes for the past three months on the EDE * No current or past history of an eating disorder as diagnosed by Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Disorders Exclusion Criteria: * History of gastric bypass surgery * Medical condition acutely affecting eating behavior and/or weight (i.e., pregnancy, lactation, thyroid disease) * Current medical or psychiatric instability (i.e., hospitalization required in the past three months) * Lifetime history of psychosis or bipolar disorder * History of neurological disorder or injury (i.e., stoke, head injury with \>10 minutes loss of consciousness) * Current substance use disorder * BMI less than 19 kg/m\^2 * Acute suicidality requiring hospitalization * fMRI exclusions as specifiedd by the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research * Food allergy that cannot be accommodated through substitutions to the laboratory test snack

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

bulimia nervosa

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Bulimia nervosa

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Minnesota

    Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.