How feeling out of control affects detail-focused thinking in people with anorexia

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

People with anorexia often use a detail-focused, analytical way of thinking that may contribute to fragmented body perception, and a strong need for control is commonly reported in the disorder. This interventional protocol exposes participants to a cognitive control deprivation task designed to temporarily reduce their feeling of control and then measures changes in analytical processing and body-related perception. Eligible participants are patients treated at the participating Poitiers centers who meet DSM-5 criteria for anorexia nervosa or have subclinical symptoms requiring care. Outcomes combine behavioral tasks and self-report measures to detect shifts in cognitive style and body image following the manipulation.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Be undergoing treatment at Centre Hospitalier Laborit (CHL) or Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Poitiers for an Eating Disorder (ED) of the Anorexia Nervosa type.
* Patients must meet the diagnostic criteria for Anorexia Nervosa according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, APA, 2013), or present a sub-clinical symptomatology requiring treatment:

(A) Restriction of energy intake relative to requirements, leading to a significantly low body weight, taking into account age, sex, developmental stage, and physical health; (B) Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, or persistent behavior that interferes with weight gain, even when at a significantly low weight; (C) Disturbance in the way body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-esteem, or persistent lack of recognition of the seriousness of the current low body weight.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Objection of the referring therapist
* Currently receiving cognitive remediation targeting mental flexibility and central coherence
* Body Mass Index (BMI) less than 14
* Inability to understand instructions in French
* Visual impairment or dyslexia

Where it's running

• Centre Hospitalier Henri Laborit
  Poitiers, France Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Nematollah Jaafari, Professor
• Email: nemat.jaafari@ch-poitiers.fr
• Phone: +33 5 16 52 61 18

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.