Understanding how exploration develops in adolescents with bulimia nervosa
Official title: Charting the Development of Exploration in Adolescent Bulimia Nervosa: A Neurocomputational Approach
Funded at Virginia Commonwealth University · NIH-11136740 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how teenage girls with bulimia nervosa explore their surroundings and make decisions, by checking out how their brains work compared to girls without the condition, to better understand what might help them during this important time in their development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2025 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $176,960 |
| NIH project number | 1K23MH137567-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11136740 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adolescent girls aged 12-20 who are diagnosed with bulimia nervosa.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not adolescents or who do not have a diagnosis of bulimia nervosa may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the development of exploration strategies in adolescents suffering from bulimia nervosa (BN) by examining the neural circuits involved. It aims to identify how impulsivity and exploration are linked to the onset and maintenance of BN during critical periods of brain development. The study will recruit adolescent girls aged 12-20, comparing those with BN to healthy controls, and will utilize advanced imaging techniques and computational modeling to analyze their behavior and brain activity. Participants will engage in tasks designed to assess their exploration strategies, with follow-ups to track changes over time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective, targeted interventions for adolescents with bulimia nervosa.
How similar studies have gone: While there is ongoing research into bulimia nervosa, this specific neurocomputational approach to understanding exploration in adolescents is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hagan, Kelsey — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Hagan, Kelsey
Related research
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.