Den här översättningen är inte klar ännu. Den här sidan är just nu på engelska.

Gå till den engelska sidan

Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Could zapping the brain help treat anorexia? new trial investigates

NCT ID NCT05788042

Symptom relief Sponsor: The George Institute 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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether two types of non-invasive brain stimulation—rTMS and tDCS—can improve symptoms of anorexia nervosa. Seventy participants in an inpatient setting will receive either active or sham (placebo) stimulation over 8 weeks. Researchers will measure changes in eating disorder behaviors, mood, and weight, and see if benefits last up to 20 weeks. The goal is to find a safe, acceptable treatment that could reduce hospital stays and improve daily functioning.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a non-invasive, at-home treatment option to reduce eating disorder symptoms and hospital stays for people with anorexia nervosa.
What could go wrong
This is an early, small trial (70 people) comparing two brain stimulation methods against sham. It may not show clear benefits, and results may not apply to all patients with anorexia.

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

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

About 70 people

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

Started

Aug 2023

Expected to finish

Apr 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.

Ages

16 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

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

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Aged ≥16 years, * A current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition DSM-5) diagnosis of anorexia nervosa * Willing and able to participate and comply with study requirements * Worked or studied in a context requiring some proficiency in spoken English (to ensure validity of neuropsychological testing) * Under ongoing care by his/her own treating psychiatrist (to ensure patient safety during the study) Exclusion Criteria: * Inability to provide informed consent * Contraindications to tDCS/rTMS * Failed to respond to an adequate course or rTMS (4 weeks) within the current illness course * Had ECT in the last 3 months * MoCA score of \<26 * Significant risk of significant self harm or suicide as assessed by study psychiatrist(s) * Currently enrolled in another interventional clinical trial or using an investigational device/product

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Anorexia nervosa are added.

Vår säkerhetsrekommendation!

Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anorexia nervosa

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Anorexia 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

  • Northside Clinic

    RECRUITING

    Sydney, New South Wales, 2031, Australia

More trials for these conditions

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