Could a gentle brain zap improve social skills in anorexia?
NCT ID NCT06286930
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This pilot study tests whether a gentle electrical current applied to the back of the brain (cerebellum) can improve social behaviors and mental flexibility in 15 women and girls aged 15-30 with anorexia nervosa. Participants receive two types of stimulation (anodal and cathodal) during brain scans and social games. The goal is to see if this approach can help reduce rigid thinking and improve social connections.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a new way to help people with anorexia nervosa by improving social thinking and flexibility, making other treatments more effective.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study with only 15 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. It is early-stage research, and the benefits are uncertain.
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 15 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Apr 2024
- Expected to finish
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Jan 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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15 to 30 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- 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: * Diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa (AN) * Female participants * Age 15-30 years old inclusive at time of enrollment * Ability of parent or legal guardian to provide informed consent if participant is under 18 years old. * Ability of patients ages 15-17 to give assent to the study. * Completion of the signed HIPAA authorization form by a parent or legal guardian or by participants (18 years of age). Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnancy * Known history of traumatic brain injury that required medical care * Non-English speaking (based on standardized neuropsychological testing and questionnaires) * Claustrophobic * Brain Implants * Pacemakers * Hearing or visual impairment * Any biomedical or metal implants in any part of the body (excluding orthopedic implants)
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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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UT Southwestern Multispecialty Psychiatry Clinic
RECRUITINGDallas, Texas, 75247, United States
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- Lab-Grown brain cells could unlock Anorexia's secrets
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