Actively Recruiting
Dynamic Neural Computations Underlying Cognitive Control in Bulimia Nervosa
Led by Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · Updated on 2026-02-17
150
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
N/A
Total Duration
On this page
Sponsors
I
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Lead Sponsor
N
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Collaborating Sponsor
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Researchers are investigating how brain functions related to control and decision-making might be affected by eating in women with bulimia nervosa (BN). The study aims to understand if abnormal predictions and value-based decisions about control contribute to ongoing binge eating, purging, and restriction behaviors. This research uses brain imaging and computational methods to explore how eating influences these control processes in BN. Participants undergo two brain scan sessions using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). One session occurs after fasting for 16 hours, and the other after consuming a standardized meal. Participants are randomly assigned to the order they receive these sessions. The study also uses computational modeling and real-time mobile assessments to analyze brain activity and behavior related to cognitive control and effort valuation. During the study, researchers measure brain activation linked to prediction errors and the subjective value of cognitive effort shortly after fasting and after eating. Behavioral responses on control tasks and symptom severity related to binge eating, purging, and dietary restriction are assessed at baseline and six months later. The study includes safety monitoring and aims to better understand brain mechanisms in BN through these detailed evaluations over time.
CONDITIONS
Brief Title
Changes in Inhibition and Valuation After Eating
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Female
- Aged 18 to 45 years
- Current body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and under 30 kg/m2
- Right-handed
- English-speaking
- Meet DSM-5 criteria for bulimia nervosa (for women with BN)
You will not qualify if you...
- Medical instability
- Ongoing medical treatment, condition, or psychiatric disorder interfering with study participation
- Shift work
- Pregnancy, planned pregnancy, or lactation during the study
- Allergy or unwillingness to consume the standardized meal or drink water during fasting
- Any contraindication for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Your Study Journey
Duration - 2 to 4 weeks
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial.
1 visit (in-person)
Duration - 2 separate days within a few weeks
Participants undergo two neuroimaging sessions to assess brain function after fasting and after eating. The order of sessions is randomized.
2 visits (in-person) spaced by several days
Duration - 6 months
Participants complete behavioral assessments of binge-eating severity, compensatory behaviors, and dietary restriction at baseline and again 6 months later.
2 visits (in-person or remote) at baseline and 6 months
Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Center of Excellence in Eating and Weight Disorders at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, New York, United States, 10029
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
R
Riley Macks, B.A.
R
Riley Macks
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
SINGLE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
CROSSOVER
Primary Purpose
OTHER
Number of Arms
2
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