Understanding how restrictive eating disorders affect brain development
Official title: Evaluating the Impact of Restrictive Eating Disorders on White Matter Development
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-10897915 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how restrictive eating disorders like anorexia nervosa affect brain development in teenagers and young adults, using special brain scans to see how their brain structure changes over time compared to those without these disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $420,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH130781-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10897915 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 20 who are diagnosed with restrictive eating disorders.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have restrictive eating disorders or are outside the age range of 12 to 20 may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the effects of restrictive eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, on the development of white matter in the brain among adolescents and young adults. By utilizing advanced neuroimaging techniques, the study aims to analyze brain structure changes over time in individuals with these disorders compared to healthy controls. The research will combine existing clinical, dietary, and imaging data to provide a comprehensive view of how these eating disorders impact brain health during critical developmental stages. Participants will undergo diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) to assess the integrity of white matter pathways.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved understanding and treatment strategies for adolescents suffering from restrictive eating disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research using neuroimaging techniques has shown promising results in understanding brain development in various psychiatric conditions, suggesting that this approach may yield valuable insights in the context of eating disorders.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kubicki, Marek — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Kubicki, Marek
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Global brain imaging study to understand anorexia in teens and how it affects outcomes
A large international study using brain scans to learn why anorexia nervosa develops, how it affects teens, and what predicts recovery or relapse.
-
Anxiety and body-sense as a warning for eating disorders in kids
This project looks at whether anxiety and how kids sense their internal body signals can signal the kind of eating problems that lead to eating disorders in children and teens.
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FlexED: a fun digital program to help teens with eating concerns
A teen-friendly digital program uses gamification and acceptance-based techniques to help 15-year-olds manage body image and related eating concerns earlier, before patterns become hard to change.
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3-D bedside scanning to track malnutrition in anorexia nervosa
A bedside 3D optical scan method will help track malnutrition in adolescents with anorexia nervosa during hospitalization.
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Reducing minority stress to help sexual minority adults with eating disorders
This project tests a new, identity-affirming treatment approach designed to help sexual minority adults with eating disorders by addressing stigma-related stress and coping skills.
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Restrictive eating disorders and brain white matter development in youths
Researchers will study how restrictive eating disorders affect brain white matter development in young people using brain scans and related data.
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.