Efficiency of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy in the Management of Body Dysmorphic Disorders in Female Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa (ANO-TERV)

June 25, 2021 updated by: CHU de Reims

Efficiency of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy in the Management of Body Dysmorphic Disorder in Female Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa: a Randomized, Controlled Superiority Study

Anorexia nervosa is defined in DSM V as a quantitative and qualitative dietary restriction resulting in significant weight loss, intense fear of weight gain, altered weight and body shape perception (body dysmorphic disorder) and low self-esteem influenced by weight or body shape. Body dysmorphic disorder is the most difficult symptom to manage in anorexia nervosa and its persistence is a factor associated with relapse.

Virtual reality exposure therapy has proven its effectiveness in the management of post-traumatic stress disorder in the military and is a widely used therapy. The effectiveness of this treatment using new technologies has not yet been studied for the treatment of body dysmorphic disorder in anorexia nervosa and is not used routinely. It could represent an interesting alternative to the physical approach in psychomotor therapy, traditionally offered to patients suffering from anorexia nervosa. It is important to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual reality exposure therapy in the management of body dysmorphic disorder in patients with anorexia nervosa by comparing these two care techniques.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy in the management of body dysmorphic disorder in patients with anorexia nervosa, compared to the traditionally proposed body approach in psychomotor therapy.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

40

Phase

  • 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 Locations

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

Ages Eligible for Study

13 years to 17 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Description

Inclusion criteria :

  • Female adolescents aged 13 to 18
  • with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa of all types (including purgative and hyperphagic) according to the DSM-V
  • French as first language
  • agreed to participate in the study
  • parental authority holders accepting her participation in the study
  • affiliated to a social security system

Patients will not be included in the study:

  • with a somatic severity criterion:

    • Total aphagia
    • Body mass index (BMI) < 14kg/m² for those over 17 years of age, BMI < 13.2kg/m² for those aged 15-16 and BMI < 12.7kg/m² for those aged 13-14.
    • Confusion
    • Bradycardia <40/min, Tachycardia
    • Blood pressure < 80/50mmHg
    • Hypothermia <35.5°C
    • Severe metabolic disorders: hypokalemia < 2.5 mmol/l, hyponatremia < 125mmol/l or hypernatremia > 150 mmol/l, hypophosphoremia < 0.5 mmol/l
    • Acetonuria, hypoglycemia < 0.6g/l
    • Creatinine elevation > 100micromol/l
    • Cytolysis > 4N
    • Leuconeutropenia <1000/mm3
    • Thrombocytopenia <6000000/mm3
    • Suicide attempt in the last month before inclusion
    • Receiving benzodiazepine treatment outside the prescription limits.
  • Psychotic patients or patients with psychoactive substance addiction according to MINI KID criteria (Sheehan DV et al. Reliability and validity of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for children and adolescents (MINI Kid). J Clin Psychiatry 2010;71(3):313-326).

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: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
Female adolescents aged 13 to 18 are proposed virtual reality exposure therapy sessions, accompanied by a cognitive and behavioral therapy (CBT) therapist, to work on their body representations
Female adolescents aged 13 to 18 are proposed virtual reality exposure therapy sessions, accompanied by a cognitive and behavioral therapy (CBT) therapist, to work on their body representations
Active Comparator: Psychomotor Therapy
Psychomotor therapy sessions are proposed to female adolescents aged 13 to 18 years, ac-companied by a psychomotor therapist, to work on their body representations.
Psychomotor therapy sessions are proposed to female adolescents aged 13 to 18 years, ac-companied by a psychomotor therapist, to work on their body representations.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Body Shape Questionnaire
Time Frame: 12 months
The Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) measures concerns about body shape. The BSQ can be divided into 4 sub scores: "avoidance and social shame of body exposure", "body dissatisfaction with lower body parts", "use of laxatives and vomiting to reduce body dissatisfaction" and "inappropriate cognitions and behaviours to control weight".
12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Eating Disorder Inventory
Time Frame: 12 months
Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI-2) is a self questionnaire to assess the severity of symptoms of eating disorders and to evaluate their changes
12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

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)

June 20, 2021

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

March 20, 2025

Study Completion (Anticipated)

September 20, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 26, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 26, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

September 27, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 28, 2021

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 25, 2021

Last Verified

June 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

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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