Anorexia NervosaNCT04051879
Influence of Reward and Punishment on Goal-directed and Habit Learning in Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa
An observational study of Anorexia Nervosa, run by University of California, San Diego at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The proposed study of adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) will examine the association of behavioral differences in constructs of decision making, brain structure and connectivity, and eating disorder (ED) symptoms. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 13 to 17 years, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Anorexia Nervosa
- How many people
- 78 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Apr 2019to 8 May 2026
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 13 to 17 years
- Women only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child
Study population: We will recruit from a clinical sample for the AN groups. We will recruit from a community sample for the healthy control group.
Who may be able to join
- AN Group:
- Between the ages of 13 and 17 years old
- Meet DSM-V criteria for AN-R or AN-BP
- Medically stable per American Academy of Pediatrics and the Society of Adolescent Medicine requirements, at least 75% adjusted ideal body weight, but still symptomatic as assessed by the Eating Disorders Examination and clinical report
- Be at least 75% of adjusted ideal body weight
- Healthy Control Group:
- Between the ages of 13 and 17 years old
Who cannot join
- All Groups:
- Psychotic illness/other mental illness requiring hospitalization
- Current dependence on drugs or alcohol defined by DSM IV criteria. Additionally, positive test results for drug use on the day of the scan, apart of marijuana, will result in cancelling or rescheduling the scan because acute use will impact MRI measures.
- Physical conditions (e.g. diabetes mellitus, pregnancy) known to influence eating or weight
- Neurological disorder, neurodevelopmental disorder, or history of head injury with >30 min loss of consciousness
- Any contraindication to undergoing an MRI
Show all 14Show fewer
- Primary obsessive compulsive disorder or primary major depressive disorder
- Additional Exclusion Criteria for AN Group:
- If taking other psychotropic medication, any change in dosage in the 2 weeks before scanning
- Additional Exclusion Criteria for Healthy Control Group:
- Meet or met criteria for the diagnosis of any psychiatric disorder in their lifetime
- Any history of binge eating or purging behaviors, including self-induced vomiting, laxative or diuretic misuse
- Use of any psychoactive or other medication known to affect mood or concentration in the last 3 months
- Have maintained 90% to 120% ideal body weight since menarche
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of California, San Diego
San Diego, California, 92121
About this study
The proposed study of adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) will examine the association of behavioral differences in constructs of decision making, brain structure and connectivity, and eating disorder (ED) symptoms. This study tests the novel hypothesis that goal-directed and habit learning for reward and punishment is altered in AN and is uniquely associated with divergent symptoms and differences in corticostriatal connectivity and microstructural integrity. We will recruit 78 females currently ill with AN and 26 controls ages 13-17 to investigate how goal-directed and habit learning for reward and punishment correspond to 1) clinical symptoms collected via interviews, self-report assessments, and ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and 2) brain structure and connectivity in the resting state. Data collection will rely on a technology called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
- Conditions
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Medical subject headings
- Anorexia Nervosa
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| AN-R | Participants that meet Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) criteria for Anorexia Nervosa restricting subtype. | |
| AN-BP | Participants that meet DSM-V criteria for Anorexia Nervosa binging/purging subtype. | |
| Healthy Controls | Participants that do not meet DSM-V criteria for any disorder. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Learning Task
A learning computer task will be used to dissociate model-based and model-free learning.
Measured: Computer Task (Baseline)
Brain Function
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging will be used to correlate brain function with a weighting factor (ω), representing the relative balance between learning biases.
Measured: fMRI Scan (Baseline)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Aug 2019
- Study start1 Apr 2019
- Primary completion24 Mar 2025
- Study completion8 May 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Anorexia NervosaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of California, San DiegoThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 78 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San Diego
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Christina Wierenga, University of California, San Diego
- Investigators
- Christina Wierenga, PhD, Principal investigator, University of California, San Diego
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04051879
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 182110
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 2 Aug 2019
- Last updated
- 11 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 11 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Influence of Reward and Punishment on Goal-directed and Habit Learning in Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04051879
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 182110
- Conditions
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 78 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San DiegoUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Apr 2019 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 24 Mar 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 8 May 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 9 Aug 2019 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The proposed study of adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) will examine the association of behavioral differences in constructs of decision making, brain structure and connectivity, and eating disorder (ED) symptoms. This study tests the novel hypothesis that goal-directed and habit learning for reward and punishment is altered in AN and is uniquely associated with divergent symptoms and differences in corticostriatal connectivity and microstructural integrity. We will recruit 78 females currently ill with AN and 26 controls ages 13-17 to investigate how goal-directed and habit learning for reward and punishment correspond to 1) clinical symptoms collected via interviews, self-report assessments, and ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and 2) brain structure and connectivity in the resting state. Data collection will rely on a technology called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
Study design
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| AN-R | – | –Participants that meet Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) criteria for Anorexia Nervosa restricting subtype. |
| AN-BP | – | –Participants that meet DSM-V criteria for Anorexia Nervosa binging/purging subtype. |
| Healthy Controls | – | –Participants that do not meet DSM-V criteria for any disorder. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 13 to 17 years
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child
- Study population
- We will recruit from a clinical sample for the AN groups. We will recruit from a community sample for the healthy control group.
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Between the ages of 13 and 17 years old
- Meet DSM-V criteria for AN-R or AN-BP
- Medically stable per American Academy of Pediatrics and the Society of Adolescent Medicine requirements, at least 75% adjusted ideal body weight, but still symptomatic as assessed by the Eating Disorders Examination and clinical report
- Be at least 75% of adjusted ideal body weight
- Between the ages of 13 and 17 years old
Key exclusion criteria (14 listed)
- Psychotic illness/other mental illness requiring hospitalization
- Current dependence on drugs or alcohol defined by DSM IV criteria. Additionally, positive test results for drug use on the day of the scan, apart of marijuana, will result in cancelling or rescheduling the scan because acute use will impact MRI measures.
- Physical conditions (e.g. diabetes mellitus, pregnancy) known to influence eating or weight
- Neurological disorder, neurodevelopmental disorder, or history of head injury with >30 min loss of consciousness
- Any contraindication to undergoing an MRI
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Learning Task
Time frame: Computer Task (Baseline)
A learning computer task will be used to dissociate model-based and model-free learning.
Brain Function
Time frame: fMRI Scan (Baseline)
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging will be used to correlate brain function with a weighting factor (ω), representing the relative balance between learning biases.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 11 May 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Christina Wierenga, PhD principal investigator
University of California, San Diego
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Anorexia Nervosa, run by University of California, San Diego at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 14 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Learning Task (time frame: Computer Task (Baseline)). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 11 May 2026.