RECRUITING

Exposure Therapy Study In Adults With Eating Disorders

Study Overview

This clinical trial focuses on testing the efficacy of different digital interventions to promote re-engagement in cancer-related long-term follow-up care for adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivors of childhood cancer.

Description

The current proposal will evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of Exposure Therapy for anorexia nervosa (AN) spectrum disorders (Exp-AN), an innovative treatment rooted in principles of inhibitory learning. Exp-AN will target anxiety about both eating and weight gain by combining in vivo (i.e., in real life) and imaginal (i.e., mental) exposure in novel ways (e.g., eating a feared food while listening to a recording describing fears about weight gain).

Official Title

Exposure Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa Pilot Trial

Quick Facts

Study Start:2024-05-02
Study Completion:2026-06-30
Study Type:Not specified
Phase:Not Applicable
Enrollment:Not specified
Status:RECRUITING

Study ID

NCT06171711

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Ages Eligible for Study:18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes Eligible for Study:ALL
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:No
Standard Ages:ADULT, OLDER_ADULT
Inclusion CriteriaExclusion Criteria
  1. 1. Participants will be English speakers, ages 18 - 65 years, of all genders, with AN-spectrum disorders, defined as a diagnosis of AN, atypical AN, or AN in partial remission.
  2. 1. Participants with AN, atypical AN, and AN in partial remission share the same DSM-5 criteria, with the exception of criterion A: "Significantly low body weight."
  3. 2. Individuals with atypical AN are weight suppressed, but not "objectively" underweight (e.g., someone who experiences rapid weight loss from a BMI of 27 to 21). Those with AN in partial remission are partially or fully weight restored (e.g., after stepping down from an inpatient setting), but continue to experience significant AN behaviors (e.g., food avoidance) and/or cognitions (e.g., fear of weight gain).
  4. 3. Diagnoses will be determined using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 - Research Version (SCID-5-RV).93 All participants in this study will be monitored by a Penn State Health medical provider.
  5. 2. All individuals who are deemed to be, or become, unsafe by their supervising medical provider will be admitted to our hospital or another facility for medical stabilization.
  1. 1. Participants will be excluded if they are below 18 years of age.
  2. 2. Those identified as non-English speakers will be excluded due to lack of funding to translate the measures to other languages.
  3. 3. Individuals with other EDs (e.g., bulimia nervosa) will be excluded.
  4. 4. Participants will be excluded if they are:

Contacts and Locations

Study Contact

Jamal Essayli, Ph.D
CONTACT
7175310003
jessayli@pennstatehealth.psu.edu

Principal Investigator

Jamal Essayli
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Penn State University

Study Locations (Sites)

905 W Govener Rd
Hershey, Pennsylvania, 17033
United States

Collaborators and Investigators

Sponsor: Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

  • Jamal Essayli, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Penn State University

Study Record Dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Registration Dates

Study Start Date2024-05-02
Study Completion Date2026-06-30

Study Record Updates

Study Start Date2024-05-02
Study Completion Date2026-06-30

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

  • Eating Disorders
  • Anorexia Nervosa