Home › Anorexia Nervosa › NCT05799872

Neuroscience-informed Treatment to Remotely Target Reward Mechanisms in Post-acute Anorexia Nervosa

Who can join

Ages 18 and older · All sexes

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age \> or = 18 years old
2. Ability to read and speak in English
3. DSM-5 diagnosis of AN or atypical AN at admission to higher-level care
4. In higher-level care discharging to outpatient care or discharged to outpatient care within the past 3 months
5. Current BMI \> or = 18.5 kg/m2 (or will be by time of discharge)
6. BMI increase of \> or = 0.5 kg/m2 while in higher-level care
7. Ability to designate and sign a release of information for a primary physical or mental health provider for study duration
8. Willingness to participate in weekly assessments (e.g., weight monitoring) and audio or video recording of study therapy sessions for study duration
9. Access to a smartphone and/or computer permitting engagement in remote therapy and assessment.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Medical instability for outpatient care;
2. Pregnancy
3. Lifetime DSM-5 primary psychotic or bipolar-I disorder
4. Current DSM-5 substance use disorder
5. Enrollment in outpatient therapy with highly overlapping content to PAT-AN

About the study

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.

What is being tested

• Positive Affect Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa (PAT-AN): (behavioral)
• Psychoeducational and Behavioral Therapy (PBT) (behavioral)

Sponsor: Virginia Commonwealth University · Participants: 90 · Started: Dec 6, 2023

Contact the study team

• Kira Venables · Phone: (804)828-2658
• Ann Haynos, PhD · Phone: (804)828-1193

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT05799872

Locations in the U.S.

Conditions

• Anorexia Nervosa

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Oct 1, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.