Influence of Reward and Punishment on Goal-directed and Habit Learning in Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa

May 8, 2026 updated by: Christina Wierenga, University of California, San Diego
The proposed study of adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) will examine the association of behavioral differences in constructs of decision making, brain structure and connectivity, and eating disorder (ED) symptoms. This study tests the novel hypothesis that goal-directed and habit learning for reward and punishment is altered in AN and is uniquely associated with divergent symptoms and differences in corticostriatal connectivity and microstructural integrity. We will recruit 78 females currently ill with AN and 26 controls ages 13-17 to investigate how goal-directed and habit learning for reward and punishment correspond to 1) clinical symptoms collected via interviews, self-report assessments, and ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and 2) brain structure and connectivity in the resting state. Data collection will rely on a technology called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
78

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • San Diego, California, United States, 92121
        • University of California, San Diego

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

13 years to 17 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

We will recruit from a clinical sample for the AN groups. We will recruit from a community sample for the healthy control group.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

AN Group:

  • Between the ages of 13 and 17 years old
  • Meet DSM-V criteria for AN-R or AN-BP
  • Medically stable per American Academy of Pediatrics and the Society of Adolescent Medicine requirements, at least 75% adjusted ideal body weight, but still symptomatic as assessed by the Eating Disorders Examination and clinical report
  • Be at least 75% of adjusted ideal body weight

Healthy Control Group:

  • Between the ages of 13 and 17 years old

Exclusion Criteria:

All Groups:

  • Psychotic illness/other mental illness requiring hospitalization
  • Current dependence on drugs or alcohol defined by DSM IV criteria. Additionally, positive test results for drug use on the day of the scan, apart of marijuana, will result in cancelling or rescheduling the scan because acute use will impact MRI measures.
  • Physical conditions (e.g. diabetes mellitus, pregnancy) known to influence eating or weight
  • Neurological disorder, neurodevelopmental disorder, or history of head injury with >30 min loss of consciousness
  • Any contraindication to undergoing an MRI
  • Primary obsessive compulsive disorder or primary major depressive disorder

Additional Exclusion Criteria for AN Group:

  • If taking other psychotropic medication, any change in dosage in the 2 weeks before scanning

Additional Exclusion Criteria for Healthy Control Group:

  • Meet or met criteria for the diagnosis of any psychiatric disorder in their lifetime
  • Any history of binge eating or purging behaviors, including self-induced vomiting, laxative or diuretic misuse
  • Use of any psychoactive or other medication known to affect mood or concentration in the last 3 months
  • Have maintained 90% to 120% ideal body weight since menarche

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: Case-Control
  • Time Perspectives: Cross-Sectional

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
AN-R
Participants that meet Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) criteria for Anorexia Nervosa restricting subtype.
AN-BP
Participants that meet DSM-V criteria for Anorexia Nervosa binging/purging subtype.
Healthy Controls
Participants that do not meet DSM-V criteria for any disorder.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Learning Task
Time Frame: Computer Task (Baseline)
A learning computer task will be used to dissociate model-based and model-free learning.
Computer Task (Baseline)
Brain Function
Time Frame: fMRI Scan (Baseline)
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging will be used to correlate brain function with a weighting factor (ω), representing the relative balance between learning biases.
fMRI Scan (Baseline)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of California, San Diego

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Christina Wierenga, PhD, University of California, San Diego

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 1, 2019

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 24, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 8, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 2, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 8, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 9, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 11, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 8, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 182110

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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