TerminatedNot Applicable

rTMS and Body Shape Perception

Stopped: Protocol stopped for safety reason

France22 participantsStarted 2013-05

Plain-language summary

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a frequent, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by a resistance to maintaining body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height, an intense fear of weight gain or being "fat" even though underweight, a loss of menstrual periods in girls and women post-puberty and a disturbance in the experience of body weight or shape. Body weight and shape dissatisfaction is linked to the development, maintenance and relapse of AN. Neuroimaging studies have shown that the inferior parietal cortex is involved in body image perception and less activated in patients with AN compared with healthy subjects. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is used to modulate cortical excitability, and particularly to increase excitability with high-frequency rTMS. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of "excitatory" high-frequency rTMS over the "hypoactive" inferior parietal cortex of 54 patients with AN. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study will compare effective rTMS (2000 ten-Hz stimulations per session, applied at 90% of the resting motor threshold, with 10 sessions in two weeks) versus placebo rTMS. Assessments will be performed before rTMS and after the last rTMS session (immediately after, at 15 days and three months). The principal criteria for judgement is a body image satisfaction scale (Boby Shape Questionnaire, BSQ-34). The secondary criteria for judgement are eating behaviour scales (Eating Attitude Test, EAT-40; Bulimia test, BULIT and Eating Disorders Inventory, EDI-2), the Hamilton depression rating scale and Hamilton anxiety rating scale, a quality of life scale (Short-Form Health Survey, SF-36), a body composition analysis using a Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and the alpha-MSH autoantibodies levels (biomarker for eating disorders recently described). Inferior parietal cortex rTMS could not only improve body image perception, but also help in the treatment of eating disorders, allowing weight gain with a decreased anxiety and improving patients' quality of life. Also positive results could have direct therapeutic implications with the possibility to complete regular rTMS sessions, or to implant extradural electrodes for chronic parietal cortex stimulation.

Who can participate

Age range

18 Years – 80 Years

Sex

FEMALE

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

Inclusion Criteria: * Female * Age above 18 * Restrictive anorexia nervosa with a disease duration more than one year and less than three years. * Body Mass Index below 16 * Patient receiving or having received optimal treatment for anorexia nervosa * Right-handed * Normal blood ionogramme * Previous stable antidepressor treatment for one month and no expected modification in the three following months * Patients arriving by car with someone else or by public transportation Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnancy * Contraindication to transcranial magnetic stimulation i.e. pace-maker, cardiac valve protheses, metallic protheses etc. * History of epileptic seizure * Cerebral lesion of any etiology (post-traumatic, tumoral, vascular etc.) * History of previous rTMS

Questions worth asking your doctor

Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.

1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?

Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.

Questions for the trial coordinator

The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.

1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?

A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.

What they're measuring

BSQ-34 scale (Body Shape Questionnaire)

Timeframe: Just after rTMS

Trial details

NCT IDNCT01717079

SponsorUniversity Hospital, Rouen

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2017-12-15

View on ClinicalTrials.gov More Anorexia Nervosa trials