Neurophysiological Effects of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Anorexia Nervosa: A Pre-Post EEG, GSR, and Eye-Tracking Study

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

This randomized controlled trial investigates the neurophysiological, physiological, and attentional effects of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in individuals with restrictive-type anorexia nervosa (AN). The study compares two groups: one receiving a 12-week CBT intervention, and one placed on a waitlist (no active treatment during the study period). All participants undergo pre- and post-intervention assessments using electroencephalography (EEG), galvanic skin response (GSR), and eye-tracking while exposed to visual stimuli related to food, body image, and self-appearance. The primary outcomes include neural changes in attention and emotional processing (P300, LPP, frontal alpha asymmetry), physiological arousal (skin conductance), and visual attention biases (fixation duration and gaze distribution). The aim is to determine whether CBT leads to measurable improvements in neurobiological and attentional mechanisms related to body image disturbance and food-related anxiety in AN, contributing to biomarker-informed psychotherapy approaches.

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: Female
Minimum Age: 18
Maximum Age: 35
Healthy Volunteers: f
View:

• Female participants aged 18 to 35

• Meeting DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for restrictive-type anorexia nervosa

• Body Mass Index (BMI) between 15.0 and 18.5

• Medically stable to participate in psychological and neurophysiological assessments

• Willingness to participate in weekly therapy sessions (for the CBT group) and to complete pre- and post-assessments

• Ability to provide informed consent

Locations
Other Locations
Turkey
Üsküdar University Neuro Marketing Lab.
RECRUITING
Istanbul
Contact Information
Primary
Metin Çınaroğlu, Phd
metincinaroglu@gmail.com
00905324732070
Backup
Selami Varol Ülker, Phd
selamivarol.ulker@uskudar.edu.tr
00905364360941
Time Frame
Start Date: 2025-05-15
Estimated Completion Date: 2025-10-15
Participants
Target number of participants: 60
Treatments
Experimental: CBT Intervention Group
Participants diagnosed with restrictive-type anorexia nervosa will receive 12 weekly individual Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) sessions. Each session will last approximately 60 minutes and be delivered by a trained therapist. The CBT protocol targets body image distortion, cognitive restructuring of maladaptive beliefs, exposure to food-related stimuli, emotional regulation strategies, and behavioral experiments to reduce avoidance. Pre- and post-treatment neurophysiological (EEG), physiological (GSR), and attentional (eye-tracking) assessments will be conducted.
No_intervention: Waitlist Control Group
Participants diagnosed with restrictive-type anorexia nervosa will be placed on a waitlist and will not receive any structured psychological intervention during the 12-week study period. They will complete the same neurophysiological (EEG), physiological (GSR), and attentional (eye-tracking) assessments at baseline and at the 12-week follow-up.
Related Therapeutic Areas
Sponsors
Collaborators: Uskudar University, Beykoz University
Leads: Istanbul Nisantasi University

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov