Video-guided training to reduce visible abdominal bloating
Official title: Tratamiento de la distensión Abdominal Funcional
Run by Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron Research Institute · NCT06369753 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tries a simple video-guided biofeedback program versus a sham program to see if it reduces visible belly swelling after meals in people with IBS, dyspepsia, or functional bloating.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 80 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 100 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron Research Institute Academic / other |
| Locations | 7 sites (Los Angeles, California and 6 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | July 30, 2025 |
| Main results expected | April 2026 |
| Study ends | October 2026 |
| Registry record updated | October 31, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT06369753 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are people who experience visible abdominal distension clearly triggered by meals and confirmed on a 7-day symptom diary, without constipation or an identified organic cause.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with an identified organic cause of distension, those with constipation, or those whose distension is not confirmed on pre-intervention evaluation are unlikely to benefit from this behavioral program.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Participants with meal-triggered visible abdominal distension are randomized to receive either a noninstrumental biofeedback program delivered via standardized video instruction or a placebo (sham) intervention. Each participant undergoes three sessions during the first three weeks, with one trained operator per center delivering the protocol. Key exclusions include organic causes, constipation, or lack of confirmed distension on a 7-day pre-intervention diary. The multicenter design aims to test whether this simpler, equipment-free approach can reproduce earlier positive results obtained with instrumented biofeedback.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this program could provide a simple, equipment-free way to reduce visible post-meal abdominal distension and improve comfort and daily functioning.
How similar studies have gone: Previous randomized placebo-controlled work by the authors showed instrumented biofeedback was superior to placebo, but this simplified noninstrumental video-guided technique is novel and still needs confirmation.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * episodes of visible abdominal distension triggered by meal ingestion Exclusion Criteria: * organic cause detected by clinical work-up * constipation * abdominal distension not confirmed by the 7-day clinical questionnaires in the pre- intervention evaluation
Where it's running
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G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience
Los Angeles, California, United States Recruiting -
McMaster University
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Recruiting -
Bordeaux University Hospital
Bordeaux, France Active not recruiting -
Santa Orsola Hospital
Bologna, Italy Active not recruiting -
Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron
Barcelona, Spain Not yet recruiting -
Sahlgrenska Hospital, Gothenburg
Gothenburg, Sweden Active not recruiting
Show 1 more location
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Manchester University
Manchester, United Kingdom Active not recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Fernando Azpiroz, MD — University Hospital Vall d'Hebron
- Study coordinator: Fernando Azpiroz, MD
- Email: azpiroz.fernando@gmail.com
- Phone: 34 932746259
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.