Virtual Food for Real Thought: a Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial of Virtual Reality Exposure in Anorexia Nervosa

Status: Recruiting
Location: See location...
Intervention Type: Behavioral
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Not Applicable
SUMMARY

Exposure to food stimuli often elicit aversive emotions in patients with anorexia nervosa, which can perpetuate eating-related avoidance. Exposure therapy has been shown to effectively reduce anxiety toward, and avoidance of, feared stimuli in several psychiatric disorders. Digital technologies, such as virtual reality (VR) have been employed to implement exposure therapy in situations where in vivo exposure is unfeasible, challenging, or perceived as threatening by patients. VR has also the potential to be used by individuals repeatedly in their own time and environment, to consolidate new learning. This pilot randomised controlled study evaluates the feasibility and clinical impact of repeated VR exposure to food stimuli in patients with anorexia nervosa attending intensive daycare treatment (treatment as usual, TAU). VR food exposure will be compared to the use of a relaxation-focused VR scenario (natural environment) and a control condition (no use of VR). Patients in all groups will receive TAU.

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: Female
Minimum Age: 14
Healthy Volunteers: f
View:

• current diagnosis of anorexia nervosa according to DSM-5 criteria

• 14 years or older.

Locations
Other Locations
Italy
University Hospital of Padova
RECRUITING
Padua
Contact Information
Primary
Valentina Cardi, PhD
valentina.cardi@unipd.it
+39 3713759534
Backup
Valentina Meregalli, PhD
valentina.meregalli@unipd.it
+39 320 744 2384
Time Frame
Start Date: 2024-03-01
Estimated Completion Date: 2025-12
Participants
Target number of participants: 60
Treatments
Experimental: Virtual Reality Food Exposure
Five sessions of exposure to a virtual kitchen (one session/day, over a week). Participants in this arm will continue receiving treatment as usual for their eating disorder at the treatment center
Active_comparator: Virtual Reality Nature Exposure
Five sessions of exposure to a virtual natural environment (one session/day, over a week). Participants in this arm will continue receiving treatment as usual for their eating disorder at the treatment center
No_intervention: Treatment as usual
Patients in this condition will receive treatment as usual only
Related Therapeutic Areas
Sponsors
Leads: University of Padova
Collaborators: Ospedale S.Bortolo -Vicenza, Italy, University of Salerno, Italy

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov