Neuroscience-informed Treatment to Remotely Target Reward Mechanisms in Post-acute Anorexia Nervosa
Key facts
- Who runs it
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Where
- Richmond, United StatesSee the site
- Trial code
- Status
- Active, not recruiting
- People taking part
- 80 people enrolled
- Started
- 6 Dec 2023
- Expected to end
- 31 Aug 2027
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- Positive Affect Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa (PAT-AN):
- Psychoeducational and Behavioral Therapy (PBT)
- Record updated
- 27 October 2026
Who can take part
- Age
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- Women and men
- Healthy volunteers
- Cannot take part
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 14 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Age > or = 18 years old
- Ability to read and speak in English
- DSM-5 diagnosis of AN or atypical AN at admission to higher-level care
- In higher-level care discharging to outpatient care or discharged to outpatient care within the past 3 months
- Current BMI > or = 18.5 kg/m2 (or will be by time of discharge)
- BMI increase of > or = 0.5 kg/m2 while in higher-level care
- Ability to designate and sign a release of information for a primary physical or mental health provider for study duration
- Willingness to participate in weekly assessments (e.g., weight monitoring) and audio or video recording of study therapy sessions for study duration
- Access to a smartphone and/or computer permitting engagement in remote therapy and assessment
Who cannot take part
- Enrollment in outpatient therapy with highly overlapping content to PAT-AN
- Lifetime DSM-5 primary psychotic or bipolar-I disorder
- Current DSM-5 substance use disorder
- Medical instability for outpatient care
- Pregnancy
Where in United States
- Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, United States
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
The investigators will recruit individuals with broadly-defined AN (n = 80) who are currently in or have recently participated in higher-level eating disorder treatment (e.g., residential, partial hospitalization/day treatment, intensive outpatient treatment). Interested participants will sign consent, complete eligibility assessments, and will be randomized to receive Positive Affect Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa (PAT-AN) or Psychoeducation and Behavioral Therapy (PBT) through teletherapy shortly following discharge from higher level of care. Participants can participate in most other forms of outpatient treatment while receiving the research intervention. Participants will engage in 24 weeks of PAT-AN or PBT starting in the first 3 months post-discharge. At each session, the investigators will complete brief measures assessing treatment acceptability, affect, and eating disorder symptoms. Participants will also complete an assessment battery of self-report, EMA, and neurocognitive measures evaluating primary outcomes (BMI; eating disorder symptoms), secondary outcomes (depression, anxiety, and suicidality), and presumed treatment mechanisms at baseline, end of treatment (EOT), and 3-month follow-up (FU). All assessments will be remotely delivered via HIPAA-compliant platforms.
The 2 groups in the trial
- Positive Affect Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa (PAT-AN):Treatment being tested
- Psychoeducational and Behavioral Therapy (PBT):Existing treatment, for comparison
Data and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Record updated
- 27 October 2026