Can talk therapy help kids with extreme picky eating?
NCT ID NCT07641205
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study compares cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT-AR) to nutrition counseling for children and teens aged 10-18 with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). 70 participants will be randomly assigned to one of the two treatments. The goal is to see which approach better reduces symptoms and improves eating habits.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (CBT-AR) and Nutrition Counseling
- What this could lead to
- If CBT-AR works better than nutrition counseling, it could become a standard treatment to help children and teens with ARFID overcome their eating restrictions.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small, early-stage trial. The therapy may not prove more effective than nutrition counseling, and results may not apply to all patients with ARFID.
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 70 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jul 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Oct 2029
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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10 to 18 years
- 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: * Males and Females ages 10-18 years old * Current ARFID assessed via Feeding and Eating Disorders Model from the "Enhanced" Structured Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5) * Normal TSH or free T4 levels to rule out thyroid disease as cause of symptoms inclusionary for randomization * Negative celiac screening panel indicating no active celiac disease as cause of symptoms inclusionary for randomization * Fluency and literacy in English Exclusion Criteria: * Patient requires weight restoration treatment (e.g., \< 5th percentile of BMI, height, or weight for sex and age; patient has fallen off individual growth trajectory; patient's medical providers have recommended weight restoration) such that 15 sessions of CBT-AR is not appropriate * Pregnancy, breastfeeding, or recent initiation/cessation of estrogen-containing systemic contraceptives within 8 weeks of the pre-treatment study visit (as these could impact neuroimaging) * Current/history of psychosis via Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview child/adolescent version (MINI KID) * Substance/alcohol use disorder (active within the past month) via MINI KID * Medical instability requiring inpatient care according to the American Psychiatric Association 2006 treatment guidelines for eating disorders * Laboratory abnormalities indicating a need for higher level of care (assessed by complete blood count and comprehensive metabolic panel) exclusionary for randomization * Complete lack of oral intake (suggesting a need for inpatient care) * Tube feeding (suggesting a need for tube weaning) Significant weight/shape concern-motivating eating pathology as evidenced by a global Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) score greater than 4 * Active suicidal ideation with intent or plan via the 5-item Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview-Revised (SITBI-R) * Contraindications to MRI * History of major gastrointestinal tract surgery or serious medical condition (e.g., cancer) * Medical history of intellectual disability * Illiteracy
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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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Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program
Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States
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