Identifying Multidimensional Signatures of Gastric Interoception in Functional Dyspepsia (IMAGINE)

August 14, 2026 updated by: Helen Burton-Murray, PHD, Massachusetts General Hospital
This study is being conducted to investigate gut-brain communication in individuals with functional dyspepsia and anorexia nervosa. The hope is that what the investigators learn from this study will improve the understanding the conditions better to improve treatments.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

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.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

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.
150

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

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
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
        • Recruiting
        • Massachusetts General Hospital
        • Contact:

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Participant Inclusion Criteria--

Functional Dyspepsia Group:

  • Males and females; ages 18-65 years
  • Rome V functional dyspepsia post-prandial distress syndrome subtype
  • Negative upper endoscopy or upper GI series to rule out structural/organic cause for FD
  • greater than or equal to 5.5 gut interoceptive awareness score (by VSI awareness subscale)
  • Fluent in English
  • Willing and able to provide informed consent
  • Stable dose for 30 days prior to Visit 1 if on a neuropsychiatric medication (e.g., TCA, SNRI, SSRI mirtazapine, atypical antipsychotic, gabapentin, buspirone, pregabalin)
  • No current plans to initiate a new or change dosing on a neuropsychiatric medication within the study period

Anorexia Nervosa Group:

  • Males and females; ages 18-65 years
  • DSM-5 anorexia restricting-type by the Eating Disorder Module in the Diagnostic Interview for Mood, Anxiety, and OCD and related Neuropsychiatric Disorders (DIAMOND)
  • greater than or equal to 5.5 gut interoceptive awareness score (by VSI awareness subscale)
  • Fluent in English
  • Willing and able to provide informed consent
  • Stable dose for 30 days prior to Visit 1 if on an SSRI
  • No current plans to initiate a new neuromodulator
  • No current plans to initiate a new SSRI or change dosing on an SSRI

Healthy Controls:

  • Males and females; ages 18-65 years
  • BMI greater than or equal to 18.5 kg/m2
  • Fluent in English
  • Willing and able to provide informed consent

Participant Exclusion Criteria--

Functional Dyspepsia Group:

  • Presence of other conditions that could explain the patient's symptoms by medical chart:

    • Pyloric or intestinal obstruction (by EGD, UGI, or Abdominal CT)
    • Active H.pylori (by CLO test or stool antigen test)
    • Active inflammatory bowel disease
    • Eosinophilic gastroenteritis or eosinophilic esophagitis
    • Acute renal failure
    • Chronic renal failure (serum creatinine >3 mg/dL) and/or on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis
    • Acute liver failure
    • Any acute gastrointestinal process
    • Any plausible structural or metabolic causes
    • Heartburn as predominant symptom
    • History of peptic ulcer
  • Symptom resolution with antisecretory therapy (PPI use for other reasons that did not resolve FD symptoms will be allowed)
  • Endorses any contraindications to MRI
  • Body weight of 450 lbs or greater or BMI of 50 kg/m2 or greater (limit of MRI table)
  • Allergy to pineapple (used in the test meal during MRI)
  • History of GI tract surgery or any serious medical condition (e.g., cancer)
  • Pregnancy/breastfeeding within the last 8 weeks
  • Uncontrolled diabetes (indicated by HbA1c greater than or equal to 7%) by chart
  • Narcotic analgesics greater than three days per week
  • Cannabinoid use greater than three days per week
  • Intellectual disability by history
  • Illiteracy
  • History of weight/shape-based eating disorder including anorexia nervosa by DIAMOND
  • Current binge eating by DIAMOND
  • Current self-induced vomiting by DIAMOND
  • Current laxative or diuretic misuse by DIAMOND
  • Current substance/alcohol use disorder within past year by DIAMOND
  • Current/history of psychosis by DIAMOND
  • Current mania by DIAMOND
  • Active suicidal ideation by modified DIAMOND abbreviated suicide module; passive suicidal ideation is allowed
  • Inability or unwillingness to consume food by mouth
  • Inability to provide informed consent

Anorexia Nervosa Group:

  • Diagnosis of chronic gastrointestinal disorder
  • Rome V functional dyspepsia
  • Endorses any contraindications to MRI
  • Body weight of 450 lbs or greater or BMI of 50 kg/m2 or greater (limit of MRI table)
  • Allergy to pineapple (used in the test meal during MRI)
  • History of GI tract surgery or any serious medical condition (e.g., cancer)
  • Pregnancy/breastfeeding within the last 8 weeks
  • Uncontrolled diabetes (indicated by HbA1c greater than or equal to 7%) by chart
  • Narcotic analgesics greater than three days per week
  • Cannabinoid use greater than three days per week
  • Intellectual disability by history
  • Illiteracy
  • Current binge eating by DIAMOND
  • Current self-induced vomiting by DIAMOND
  • Current laxative or diuretic misuse by DIAMOND
  • Current substance/alcohol use disorder within past year by DIAMOND
  • Current/history of psychosis by DIAMOND
  • Current mania by DIAMOND
  • Active suicidal ideation by DIAMOND abbreviated suicide module; passive suicidal ideation is allowed
  • Inability or unwillingness to consume food by mouth
  • Inability to provide informed consent
  • Current use of neuropsychiatric medication other than an SSRI (e.g., TCA, SNRI, mirtazapine, atypical antipsychotic, gabapentin, buspirone, pregabalin)

Healthy Controls:

  • Diagnosis of chronic gastrointestinal or pain disorder
  • Rome V functional dyspepsia
  • greater than or equal to 5.5 gut interoceptive awareness score (by VSI awareness subscale)
  • Current use of a medication known to influence gastric sensorimotor functions (including neuromodulators and SSRIs)
  • Active psychiatric disorder including a feeding/eating disorder by DIAMOND
  • Endorses any contraindications to MRI
  • Body weight of 450 lbs or greater or BMI of 50 kg/m2 or greater (limit of MRI table)
  • Allergy to pineapple (used in the test meal during MRI)
  • History of GI tract surgery or any serious medical condition (e.g., cancer)
  • Pregnancy/breastfeeding within the last 8 weeks
  • Uncontrolled diabetes (indicated by HbA1c greater than or equal to 7%) by chart
  • Narcotic analgesics greater than three days per week
  • Cannabinoid use greater than three days per week
  • Intellectual disability by history
  • Illiteracy
  • Current binge eating by DIAMOND
  • Current self-induced vomiting by DIAMOND
  • Current laxative or diuretic misuse by DIAMOND
  • Current substance/alcohol use disorder within past year by DIAMOND
  • Current/history of psychosis by DIAMOND
  • Current mania by DIAMOND
  • Active suicidal ideation by DIAMOND modified suicide module; passive suicidal ideation is allowed
  • Inability or unwillingness to consume food by mouth
  • Inability to provide informed consent

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

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Other: Functional Dyspepsia, Healthy Control, Anorexia Nervosa
Other: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
Pineapple pudding snack, with pre- and post-snack fMRI

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
Visual interoception task
Time Frame: Day 1, visit 1, 30-minute scan and visit 2 (within approximately two weeks of day 1), 30-minute scan
The study team will be investigating brain activity and connectivity during an interoception task. This will be measured via functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) which is able to measure blood flow to regions of the brain.
Day 1, visit 1, 30-minute scan and visit 2 (within approximately two weeks of day 1), 30-minute scan
Resting state connectivity
Time Frame: Visit 2 (second visit, within approximately 2 weeks of day 1 of the study), 60 minute scan.
Change in brain activity during rest pre and post prandially using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
Visit 2 (second visit, within approximately 2 weeks of day 1 of the study), 60 minute scan.
Gastric peristaltic velocity
Time Frame: 30 minutes (only in Visit 2, within approximately two weeks of Visit 1)
MRI-derived gastric motility outcome
30 minutes (only in Visit 2, within approximately two weeks of Visit 1)

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.
Massachusetts General Hospital

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

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: Helen Burton-Murray, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital

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.
March 16, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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 1, 2030

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
March 1, 2031

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).
June 29, 2026

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 14, 2026

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 19, 2026

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.
August 19, 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.
August 14, 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.
August 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.
  • 2025P001856
  • R01DK145599 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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