An interventional study of Negative Affect Task in Bulimia Nervosa, Binge-Eating Disorder and Obesity, sponsored by University of California, San Diego. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 55 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-03.
Sponsored by University of California, San Diego · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science
Among 87 studies in Bulimia Nervosa with a site in United States — 15 open to participants now, 21 under way, none of them phase 3. Bulimia Nervosa · United States.
Among the 87 studies in Bulimia Nervosa with a site in United States, this one is the 3rd largest by planned enrollment of the 68 interventional ones that give a count, is one of 3 that started in 2018, is one of 56 with no phase, reaches primary completion later than 5 of the 20 other live ones, and was the 41st registered.
173 studies on the registry are indexed under Bulimia Nervosa; 39 are open to participants now.
Browse Bulimia Nervosa studies →15 of the 87 studies in Bulimia Nervosa with a site in United States are open now. Recruiting first, the newest first:
Trustees of Dartmouth College · Sites in United States
University of Kansas · Sites in United States
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · Sites in United States
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · Sites in United States
Milton S. Hershey Medical Center · Sites in United States
A study can be open while its sites in United States have not opened yet or have stopped. Only those recruiting at a site in United States →
Of the 32 Bulimia Nervosa studies recruiting now, 9 (28%) set no upper age limit and 21 (66%) stop at 75 or younger; 15 take children under 18; 9 take healthy volunteers.
This study: 18 Years to 55 Years · all sexes · healthy volunteers too.
The full table on the hub →This tab as a report to print or save as PDF → With an account.
87 studies; the count open now beside each. This study's row is marked.
A study in two phases is counted once above. Listed by phase, each with its combined phases: Phase 1 7 · Phase 2 6 · Phase 3 2 · Phase 4 1
First in 1998; this study’s year is marked. 3 started in 2018.
This study's planned enrollment of 410 is above the median of 60 across 121 interventional studies indexed under Bulimia Nervosa.
Median enrollment 42 across the 68 interventional studies, 89 across the 17 observational. Of the 61 that completed or were terminated, 13 (21%) have results posted.
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1 of 87 have an industry lead sponsor. The 10 most frequent:
University of California, San Diego is the lead sponsor of 980 studies on the registry; 195 are open to participants now.
Of its 113 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 71 (63%) have results posted.
University of California, San Diego has 8 studies filed under Bulimia Nervosa — fewer than ten, so there is no comparison to draw.
8 of the studies in Bulimia Nervosa with a site in United States that are under way reach primary completion within a year, 0 of them phase 3. Phase 3 first, then by date:
| Study | Primary completion |
|---|---|
| NCT05509257Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas CityNaltrexone Neuroimaging in Teens With Eating Disorders | 2026-12 |
| NCT03393039University of California, San DiegoEffects of Negative Affect in Individuals With Binge Eating Episodes | 2027-01 |
| NCT05473013Nemours Children's ClinicOptimizing Digital Health Technology Interventions to Increase Skill Acquisition and Utilization | 2027-01 |
| NCT05056597University of California, San DiegoIncentive Processing and Learning in Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa | 2027-01 |
| NCT06000774University of California, San DiegoTherapeutic Ketogenic Diet in Anorexia Nervosa | 2027-06 |
Among the 87 studies in Bulimia Nervosa with a site in United States, from their registry updates:
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Binge-eating is characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large amounts of - typically high calorie - foods, eating much more rapidly than normal and until feeling uncomfortably full, as well as feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or guilty after those episodes. Two eating disorders are characterized by binge-eating as central diagnostic criteria, binge-eating disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa (BN). Binge-eating episodes in BN, but not BED, are typically followed by compensatory mechanisms such as self-induced vomiting, and BED is typically associated with obesity, while BN is not. Behavior studies such as ecological momentary assessment (EMA) research of affect in an individual's naturalistic environment have shown that negative affect and negative urgency (the tendency to act rashly when distressed) often precede binge-eating.
The Investigators want to answer the following questions: Can negative affect in BN and BED be linked to 1) altered dopamine related brain reinforcement learning, 2) to food value computation and cognitive control circuit function, and 3) can dopamine related brain activation predict eating and negative affect, indicating a brain based neurobiological vulnerability. Answering those questions will help to define binge-eating based on regulation of brain reward, cognition, and emotion circuit function and point toward potential psychopharmacological interventions to normalize brain function and behavior.
Specific Aim 1: To test on two study days, one neutral affect and one negative affect day (affect induction) whether negative affect alters brain reinforcement learning in a dopamine system anchored taste reward learning paradigm (a task for prediction error and reward value computation) during functional magnetic resonance brain imaging (fMRI). Hypothesis 1: In response to negative and compared to neutral affect induction, binge eating disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa (BN) will show increased positive prediction error and taste valuation regression with striatum and insula activation compared to obese (OB) and healthy control (HC) groups. This will be an indication that negative affect excessively activates dopamine related reward circuit response in BED and BN. Specific Aim 2: To study during a food choice paradigm the effects of negative affect on brain circuitry for cognitive control and food valuation. Specific Aim 2a: To study brain circuitry for food valuation in response to neutral or negative affect. Hypothesis 2a: In response to negative and compared to neutral affect induction, BED and BN groups will show greater striatal activation when rating food for taste, compared to OB and HC. This will indicate that BED and BN are associated with increased affect-regulated motivation to approach high calorie foods after negative affect induction and compared to OB and HC. Specific Aim 2b: To study brain control circuitry during food choice in response to neutral or negative affect. Hypothesis 2b: In response to negative and compared to neutral affect induction, BED and BN groups will show increased insula and striatal, but lower dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activation compared to OB and HC groups. This will indicate that negative affect activates automatic food reward circuit response, but reduces cognitive control circuitry during food choice in BED and BN. Specific Aim 3: To test whether brain activation predicts food intake or negative affect. Specific Aim 3a: To test whether brain activation can predict food intake during a post-fMRI scan test meal. Hypothesis 3a: On negative- versus neutral-affect days, BN and BED will select more food in a post-fMRI scan test meal; lower DLPFC and higher striatal activation during food choice, and higher (prediction error) taste reward activation in insula and ventral striatum will predict greater food intake. Specific Aim 3b: To test whether brain activation during reward learning or food choice predicts negative affect measured by EMA on the study day, as well as measured between study days in the individual's naturalistic environment. Hypothesis 3b: Insula, ventral striatum and DLPFC activation (taste prediction error task, food choice task) during the negative affect condition will predict the intensity of negative affect immediately after fMRI, as well as intensity of negative affect episodes during the days between brain scans in the individual's naturalistic environment, suggesting a neurobiological affective vulnerability.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Healthy Controls
Obese
Binge Eating Disorder
DSM 5 diagnosis of Binge Eating Disorder A. Recurrent episodes of binge eating B. Binge eating episodes are associated with three (or more) of the following
Bulimia Nervosa
A sense of lack of control over eating during the episode. B. Recurrent inappropriate compensatory behavior in order to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting; misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or other medications; fasting; or excessive exercise.
C. At least once a week for 3 months. D. Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight.
Exclusion Criteria:
Healthy Controls
Obese
Binge Eating Disorder
Bulimia Nervosa
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
BMI (body mass index)
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Negative Affect Task
Behavioral: Negative Affect Task
fMRI stress task
Also known as: Functional Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Stress Task
Taste Reward Brain Response to Negative Affect fMRI Task
to study brain activation in a taste reward task in response to negative affect
Time frame: 5 years
Food Choice Brain Response to Negative Affect fMRI Task
to study brain activation in a food choice task in response to negative affect
Time frame: 5 years
Brain Activation and Food Intake/negative Affect Relationships
To test whether brain activation predicts food intake or negative affect
Time frame: 5 years
Plan to share: Undecided
Started Feb 2018 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jan 2027, 107 months after the start.
Of 63 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Bulimia Nervosa, half reached primary completion within 43 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 18 and three quarters within 58. This study's planned 107 months is above that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 65 studies reached it within 43 months; a quarter within 18 and three quarters within 49.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Jul 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of California, San Diego →