An observational study in Bulimia Nervosa and Anorexia Nervosa, sponsored by University of California, San Diego. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to female participants aged 18 Years to 39 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-01.
Sponsored by University of California, San Diego · Observational
The purpose of this study is to investigate areas of the brain responsible for avoidance learning in adults with eating disorders using brain imaging techniques, computer tasks, and self-report questionnaires and interviews. The investigators will study changes in brain activity using a procedure called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This study will include 78 women with an eating disorder (26 with anorexia nervosa [AN], 26 with bulimia nervosa [BN]) and 26 healthy controls (HC) aged 18-39.
Aim 1: Evaluate behavioral differences in active and passive avoidance learning in eating disorders and associations with symptoms.
Aim 2: Evaluate whether corticostriatal and limbic-prefrontal fMRI BOLD response associated with avoidance learning differs in eating disorders relative to healthy controls and relates to symptoms.
Aim 3: Evaluate whether functional connectivity of avoidance learning neural circuity differs in eating disorders relative to healthy controls.
163 studies on the registry are indexed under Bulimia Nervosa; 39 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 78 is below the median of 90 across 43 observational studies indexed under Bulimia Nervosa.
Browse Bulimia Nervosa studies →University of California, San Diego is the lead sponsor of 958 studies on the registry; 191 are open to participants now.
Of its 110 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 70 (64%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
The study will recruit 52 adult women currently ill with an eating disorder, including anorexia nervosa (AN; n=26) and bulimia nervosa (BN, n=26), and 26 healthy control (HC) women between the ages of 18 and 39.
Eating Disorder Group:
Healthy Controls:
Exclusion Criteria:
Additional Exclusion Criteria for ED Group:
Additional Exclusion Criteria for Healthy Control Group:
Participants that meet Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) criteria for Anorexia Nervosa.
Participants that meet DSM-V criteria for Bulimia Nervosa.
Participants that do not meet DSM-V criteria for any disorder.
Learning rate
Behavioral responses during a card game gambling task
Time frame: 25 minutes
fMRI brain response
fMRI brain activity associated with the card game gambling task
Time frame: 25 minutes
Brain connectivity
Whole-brain functional connectivity associated with the card game gambling task
Time frame: 10 minutes
Plan to share: Undecided
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University of California, San Diego