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Cerebellar tDCS Stimulation in Children and Adult Women With Anorexia Nervosa Disorder

Key facts

Who runs it
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Where
Dallas, United StatesSee the site
Trial code
Status
Recruiting
People taking part
15 people, planned
Started
24 Apr 2024
Expected to end
2 Jan 2027
Type of study
Interventional, 2 groups
Treatments tested
  • anodal trans cranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
  • cathodal trans cranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
Record updated
30 October 2026

Who can take part

Age
15 years to 30 years
Sex
Women only
Healthy volunteers
Cannot take part

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 14 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • Diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa (AN)
  • Female participants
  • Age 15-30 years old inclusive at time of enrollment
  • Ability of parent or legal guardian to provide informed consent if participant is under 18 years old
  • Ability of patients ages 15-17 to give assent to the study
  • Completion of the signed HIPAA authorization form by a parent or legal guardian or by participants (18 years of age)

Who cannot take part

  • Brain Implants
  • Any biomedical or metal implants in any part of the body (excluding orthopedic implants)
  • Known history of traumatic brain injury that required medical care
  • Hearing or visual impairment
  • Pregnancy
  • Non-English speaking (based on standardized neuropsychological testing and questionnaires)
  • Claustrophobic
  • Pacemakers

Check if you might fit

Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.

  • Are you between 15 and 30 years old?

Where in United States

  • UT Southwestern Multispecialty Psychiatry ClinicDallas, United StatesContact: Haley A Walker, MastersTaking people

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

Hypothesis: Will the use of tDCS brain modulation in the cerebellum assist in restricted behaviors, social cognition and cognitive flexibility in women with anorexia nervosa in addition to other therapies?

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Primary Outcomes:

1. To observe the impacts and outcomes of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on social behaviors measured by Cyberball and Trust Game. 2. To observe the neuropsychological impacts of cerebellar tDCS through fMRI imaging as well as looking at the Region of Interest (ROI) of changes in the Default Mode Network and Cerebellum circuits and their activation levels in those networks.

Secondary Outcomes:

1.To observe the impacts and outcome of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) measuring the differences between anodal and cathodal stimulation. To observe potential increases in responses to social stimuli, decreases in eating disorder/depressive symptomology via cathodal stimulation. To also observe potential little to no changes in social stimuli and eating disorder/depressive symptomology via anodal stimulation.

The 2 groups in the trial

  • anodal tDCS, then cathodal tDCSTreatment being tested

    Participants receive 1, 20-minute anodal tDCS stimulation. After a washout period of 2-3 weeks, then receive 1, 20-minute cathodal tDCS stimulation.

    Treatment: anodal trans cranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and cathodal trans cranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

  • cathodal tDCS, then andoal tDCSTreatment being tested

    Participants receive 1, 20-minute cathodal tDCS stimulation. After a washout period of 2-3 weeks, then receive 1, 20-minute anodal tDCS stimulation.

    Treatment: anodal trans cranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and cathodal trans cranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
Cerebellar tDCS Stimulation in Children and Adult Women With Anorexia Nervosa Disorder- A Pilot Study
Fit questions
Built from NCT06286930, who can take part
Record updated
30 October 2026