An observational study in Anorexia Nervosa, sponsored by Istituto Auxologico Italiano. Completed at 1 site in Italy. Open to female participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-09-08.
Sponsored by Istituto Auxologico Italiano · Observational
The goal of this observational cross-sectional study is to test the sensory attenuation effect with auditory stimuli comparing women affected by anorexia nervosa and healthy-weight women. Specifically, the study aims to test whether the sensory attenuation effect (i.e., the perceived loudness of a self-generated sound is weaker than when another person produces the same sound):
i) is observed in anorexia nervosa ii) it can be modulated in interactive action contexts, as was previously observed in healthy participants.
Participants will compare the loudness of target sound with a comparison tone, which can be prompt by the participant by pressing a button on their own will (i.e., individual context) or upon the experimenter\'s signal (i.e., interactive context); externally-generated sounds are produced in the opposite way.
The perceived loudness of a self-generated sound is generally weaker than when another person produces the same sound. This effect is known as sensory attenuation, and it is considered a proof of sense of agency (i.e., it relies on the anticipation of the sensory-motor effects of one\'s intentional action). Recently, it was suggested that this effect is enhanced in interactive action contexts in healthy individuals, meaning that sounds are produced as a consequence of cooperation between individuals.
Participants will compare the loudness of target sound with a comparison tone, which could be generated in 4 different conditions:
i) participants press a button ii) the experimenter press the button iii) participants press the button upon the experimenter\'s signal (i.e., who touch the participants\' arm) iv) the experimenter presses the button upon the participants\' signal (i.e., who touch the experimenter\'s arm).
However, it is not clear whether the same effect of cooperation can be observed also when individuals experience difficulties in social interactions and relationships.
To this purpose, the study compared the sensory attenuation effect for auditory stimuli in a traditional (i.e., individual) and interactive context, comparing women affected by anorexia nervosa with healthy-weight women.
Indeed, relational difficulties and social withdrawal characterized this clinical condition.
455 studies on the registry are indexed under Anorexia Nervosa; 126 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 31 is below the median of 72 across 135 observational studies indexed under Anorexia Nervosa.
Browse Anorexia Nervosa studies →Istituto Auxologico Italiano is the lead sponsor of 196 studies on the registry; 78 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
women affected by anorexia nervosa will be recruited at the IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, San Giuseppe Hospital, Piancavallo, VB, Italia (eating and nutritional disorders ward).
women with healthy weight will be recruited in the local community and among the researchers contacts
Exclusion Criteria:
DSM-V criteria for anorexia nervosa must be satisfied
BMI range: 19-29 kg/m2
point of subjective equality (PSE)
individual PSE in each experimental condition is obtained by fitting observed judgements of loudness, relative to seven possible comparison tones. The PSE represents the tone loudness that participants perceive as loud as the target sound (i.e., the sound intensity which records only 50% of correct judgments "which sounds was louder?")
Time frame: day 1
cognitive empathy
Interpersonal Reactivity Index - IRI: 28-item self-report questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale (from 1 -does not describe me well to 5 - describes me very well). Four components of cognitive empathy are measured: i) perspective taking (IRI-PT); ii) fantasy (IRI-F); iii) empathic concern (IRI-EC); iv) personal distress (IRI-PD); each subscale includes 7 items (total scores range from 1 to 35): the higher the score, the higher the expression of cognitive empathy described in each subscale.
Time frame: day 1
interpersonal pleasure
Anticipatory and Consummatory Interpersonal Pleasure Scale - ACIPS: 17-item self-reported questionnaire scored on 6-point Likert scale (from 1 - very false for me to 6-very true for me). ACIPS total score ranges from 1 to 102: higher scores indicate higher anticipatory and consummatory interpersonal pleasure.
Time frame: day 1
Plan to share: Yes — upload of anonymized raw experimental data on public repository (i.e., Zotero)
Supporting information: Csr
This study is completed, as verified in Sep 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
Istituto Auxologico Italiano