Women with Anorexia Nervosa Needed for TMS Research Study

San Diego CA

Description

ABOUT THE STUDY The current study is an important step toward developing a new treatment for anorexia nervosa. It is called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for anorexia nervosa. TMS brain stimulation has been used to treat depression for many years and has recently been approved for the treatment of OCD as well as smoking cessation. TMS involves a magnet placed over the head. The magnet is repeatedly turned on and off. This procedure is called TMS. Most often in the past patients received one 40-minute treatment session per day, five days a week and for several weeks. New research has shown that shorter periods of stimulation delivered multiple times per day for only one week may be equally or even more effective. This is what we are using in this study. This procedure is called intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), a new form of TMS. The goal of this study is to test the feasibility, safety and acceptability of iTBS in anorexia nervosa and to test whether iTBS can reduce body image distortion and therefore help with anorexia nervosa treatment. WHAT YOU'LL BE ASKED TO DO The study includes at first screening and assessment visits as well as a blood draw. If you qualify, then the main part is a 1-2 week trial of 10 daily iTBS sessions over the course of 5 days. You will be randomized to either the active iTBS or sham iTBS group. Participants in the active iTBS group will receive 5 consecutive days of iTBS treatment (10 sessions per day, total of 50 sessions over the one-week treatment). While each session only takes less than 5 minutes, you will be required to stay in the research suite in-between the sessions so we can make sure you do not have side effects from the treatment. If you are in the sham group you will complete the same sessions but with no active brain stimulation. At the end of the 5 days you will find out whether you had been in the sham group. You will be offered an additional 5 days of active iTBS if you had been randomized to the sham group. COMPENSATION Participants will receive free TMS treatment but are not compensated for participating in this study. YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE IF YOU: - are female - are between the ages of 18 to 45 years old - have been diagnosed with anorexia nervosa - are medically stable -local to San Diego region or willing to pay for own transportation and lodging for study visits You can go to our study page on UCSD Clinical Trials website for more details and to request a screening: