Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Treat Compulsivity in Anorexia Nervosa 

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06138782

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is being studied as a treatment for Anorexia Nervosa (AN).  It involves non-invasive electromagnetic brain stimulation at the orbitofrontal cortex.  TMS is also regularly used to treat other neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).  Both AN and OCD are characterized by the propensity toward cognitive inflexibility.  Since TMS is an effective FDA-cleared treatment for OCD, the researchers believe that it may also be an effective treatment for AN.   

There are two groups for this study that each have a separate purpose.  The purpose of the first group (ages 14 – 45) is to evaluate long-term changes in the brain specific to habit-directed networks in participants with anorexia nervosa (AN).  Participants in this group will undergo functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at least 5 times over a 10-month period.  Participants in this first group will not receive rTMS treatment.   

The purpose of the second group (ages 18 - 45) is to determine if rTMS is effective in treating AN.  Participants in this group will receive rTMS treatment for 10 days (2 consecutive weeks).  Each day will involve 5 rTMS treatments over the course of 5 hours.  Participants in this group will also undergo fMRI before the first TMS treatment and after the final TMS treatment.        

 

We are currently recruiting for both groups.

 

Please send us an email at [email protected] if you are interested in participating or have any questions. 

 

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