Anorexia NervosaFER_ANNCT06299293
Facial Emotion Recognition in Anorexia Nervosa
An observational study of Anorexia Nervosa, run by Istituto Auxologico Italiano at 1 site in Italy.
Trial summary
Altered emotional processing is reported in Anorexia Nervosa. However, this capability is generally measured through explicit measures, like self-report questionnaires and facial emotion recognition tasks. Instead, no previous research has investigated implicit emotional processing in this clinical condition. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 20 to 50 years, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Anorexia Nervosa
- What is being tested?
- Facial Emotion Recognition Test
- How many people
- 40 participants
- Where
- 1 siteItaly
- Study dates
- 1 Feb 2023to 1 Feb 2024
- 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 20 to 50 years
- Women only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Study population: Participants with anorexia nervosa will be recruited at the beginning of a rehabilitative treatment at the Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, San Giuseppe Hospital (Italy). Controls will be recruited out of the hospital.
Who may be able to join
- right-handed
- diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa according to the APA criteria
Who cannot join
- concurrent neurological, neurodevelopmental (e.g., autism), motor, somatosensory and/or psychiatric disorders.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Italy1 site
IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano - Ospedale San Giuseppe
Piancavallo, VCO, 28824
About this study
Altered emotional processing is reported in Anorexia Nervosa. However, this capability is generally measured through explicit measures, like self-report questionnaires and facial emotion recognition tasks. Instead, no previous research has investigated implicit emotional processing in this clinical condition. In the implicit facial emotion recognition task grounded on the implicit "redundant target effect", individuals generally respond faster when two identical targets are presented simultaneously rather than when presented alone; moreover, the competitive presence of a distractor (that is another emotion or a neutral expression) affects the correct recognition of the target. The ability to recognize and detect facial expressions is explored about two main emotions, fear and anger, because of their role in the intra- and interindividual psychological processing.
- Conditions
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Being tested
- Facial Emotion Recognition Test
- Keywords
- Facial emotion recognition, Fear, Anger, Redundant target effect, Alexithymia
- Medical subject headings
- Anorexia Nervosa, Affective Symptoms
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Facial Emotion Recognition TestOther
In this test, the ability to detect and recognize facial expressions of fear or anger will be investigated.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | Participants with Anorexia Nervosa Receives: Other: Facial Emotion Recognition Test | |
| Controls | Participants with a healthy weight Receives: Other: Facial Emotion Recognition Test |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Behavioural measure relative to recognition ability
Level of accuracy expressed in percentage (min =%; max = 100%) about only the valid trails, in the case of emotion used as target.
Measured: baseline
Secondary outcomes (1)
Behavioural measure relative to the detection ability
Reaction time (i.e., time of response from the onset of the visual stimulus) expressed in milliseconds relative to the valid response for the targeted emotion
Measured: baseline
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted7 Mar 2024
- Study start1 Feb 2023
- Primary completion1 Feb 2024
- Study completion1 Feb 2024
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 Istituto Auxologico ItalianoThe 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
- 40 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06299293
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 21C306
- Acronym
- FER_AN
- Status last verified
- Aug 2025
- First submitted
- 28 Feb 2024
- Last updated
- 27 Aug 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 27 Aug 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Facial Emotion Recognition in Anorexia Nervosa
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06299293
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- FER_AN / 21C306
- Conditions
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Keywords
- Facial emotion recognition, Fear, Anger, Redundant target effect, Alexithymia
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Istituto Auxologico ItalianoUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Feb 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Feb 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Feb 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 7 Mar 2024 (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.
Altered emotional processing is reported in Anorexia Nervosa. However, this capability is generally measured through explicit measures, like self-report questionnaires and facial emotion recognition tasks. Instead, no previous research has investigated implicit emotional processing in this clinical condition. In the implicit facial emotion recognition task grounded on the implicit "redundant target effect", individuals generally respond faster when two identical targets are presented simultaneously rather than when presented alone; moreover, the competitive presence of a distractor (that is another emotion or a neutral expression) affects the correct recognition of the target. The ability to recognize and detect facial expressions is explored about two main emotions, fear and anger, because of their role in the intra- and interindividual psychological processing.
Study design
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | – | Other: Facial Emotion Recognition TestParticipants with Anorexia Nervosa |
| Controls | – | Other: Facial Emotion Recognition TestParticipants with a healthy weight |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 20 to 50 years
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
- Study population
- Participants with anorexia nervosa will be recruited at the beginning of a rehabilitative treatment at the Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, San Giuseppe Hospital (Italy). Controls will be recruited out of the hospital.
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- right-handed
- diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa according to the APA criteria
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- concurrent neurological, neurodevelopmental (e.g., autism), motor, somatosensory and/or psychiatric disorders.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Facial Emotion Recognition TestIn this test, the ability to detect and recognize facial expressions of fear or anger will be investigated. | Other | Cases, Controls |
Primary outcome
Behavioural measure relative to recognition ability
Time frame: baseline
Level of accuracy expressed in percentage (min =%; max = 100%) about only the valid trails, in the case of emotion used as target.
1 secondary outcome
Behavioural measure relative to the detection ability
Time frame: baseline
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 27 Aug 2025.
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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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
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 Istituto Auxologico Italiano at 1 site in Italy.
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 2 inclusion and 1 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 27 Aug 2025. 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 Italy. 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?
Behavioural measure relative to recognition ability (time frame: baseline). 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 27 Aug 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 4 Nov 2026.