How feeling out of control affects detail-focused thinking in people with anorexia
Influence of Control Deprivation on the Use of the Analytical Cognitive Style in Anorexic Subjects
This test will try to see if temporarily lowering someone’s sense of control makes people with anorexia focus more on details of their body and thinking style.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 54 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Centre Hospitalier Henri Laborit Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Poitiers) |
| Trial ID | NCT07274722 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
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.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults receiving treatment for anorexia nervosa (or clinically significant subthreshold anorexia) at Centre Hospitalier Henri Laborit or CHU de Poitiers are the intended participants.
Not a fit: People who are not treated at the participating Poitiers centers, who have other primary eating disorders, unstable medical status, or cannot complete in-person tasks are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, results could help target treatments by showing whether addressing control needs reduces detail-focused thinking and improves body perception in anorexia.
How similar studies have performed: Some non-clinical research shows loss of control can prompt more analytical thinking, but a causal link in anorexia nervosa has not been demonstrated and this approach is relatively novel in this population.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
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 this trial is running
Poitiers
- 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
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.