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Using Bilateral Stimulation (A Pre-existing Trauma Technique) After Eating to Reduce Anxiety in People Recovering From Eating Disorders

21 maggio 2026 aggiornato da: San Francisco State University

Bilateral Stimulation Versus Standard Care in the Treatment of Food Anxiety in Eating Disorder Patients: A Pilot Study

The goal of this clinical trial was to evaluate whether bilateral stimulation (BLS) could reduce anxiety and emotional distress after eating in people recovering from eating disorders in outpatient treatment with the primary researcher.

The main question it aimed to answer were:

Did bilateral stimulation reduce anxiety, depression, and/or eating disorder thoughts when used after eating a fear food?

Researchers compared participants who received standard treatment alone to those who received standard treatment plus bilateral stimulation after meals to determine whether BLS reduced emotional distress and negative thoughts related to eating.

Participants:

  • Completed surveys assessing anxiety, depression, and eating disorder symptoms at the beginning and end of 4 consecutive sessions (4-12 weeks in total depending on the frequency of client appointments).
  • Chose to participate in either a standard treatment group or an intervention group

Participants in the intervention group also:

  • Ate 1 meal per week before or during session, including a "fear food" (defined as food avoided out of fear of what might happen, i.e., weight gain, vomiting, guilt/shame).
  • Completed brief questionnaires about their thoughts and feelings after eating
  • Participated in 3-5 minutes of bilateral stimulation (side-to-side tapping) guided by the researcher
  • Reported on changes in their thoughts and emotions following the intervention

The intervention was delivered over 4 consecutive sessions alongside standard treatment.

Panoramica dello studio

Tipo di studio

Interventistico

Iscrizione (Effettivo)

8

Fase

  • Non applicabile

Contatti e Sedi

Questa sezione fornisce i recapiti di coloro che conducono lo studio e informazioni su dove viene condotto lo studio.

Luoghi di studio

    • California
      • San Francisco, California, Stati Uniti, 94132
        • San Francisco State University

Criteri di partecipazione

I ricercatori cercano persone che corrispondano a una certa descrizione, chiamata criteri di ammissibilità. Alcuni esempi di questi criteri sono le condizioni generali di salute di una persona o trattamenti precedenti.

Criteri di ammissibilità

Età idonea allo studio

  • Adulto
  • Adulto più anziano

Accetta volontari sani

No

Descrizione

Inclusion Criteria:

  • (1) aged older than 18 years;
  • (2) had a current DSM-5 diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, or other specified feeding and eating disorder;
  • (3) were deemed to be medically stable, defined as not requiring the use of a feeding tube; had a heart rate between 51-119 beats per minute at rest and blood pressure greater than 70/40 and less than 180/120 mmHg at rest;
  • (4) attending appointments at will;
  • (5) gave full consent (signed informed consent); and
  • (6) could choose to discontinue treatment and/or the study at any time with no consequences.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • (1) aged under 18 years;
  • (2) had a current DSM-5 diagnosis of Pica syndrome, cyclical vomiting syndrome, or subclinical eating disorder;
  • (3) had medical instability, defined as a heart rate less than 50 or more than 120 beats per minute at rest, a blood pressure greater than 180/120 or less than 70/40 mmHg at rest, or orthostatic vital signs accompanied by fainting; and
  • (4) had acute suicide risk.

Piano di studio

Questa sezione fornisce i dettagli del piano di studio, compreso il modo in cui lo studio è progettato e ciò che lo studio sta misurando.

Come è strutturato lo studio?

Dettagli di progettazione

  • Scopo principale: Trattamento
  • Assegnazione: Non randomizzato
  • Modello interventistico: Assegnazione parallela
  • Mascheramento: Nessuno (etichetta aperta)

Armi e interventi

Gruppo di partecipanti / Arm
Intervento / Trattamento
Nessun intervento: Standard Outpatient Eating Disorder Treatment (ST)
Sperimentale: Standard Outpatient Eating Disorder Treatment plus Bilateral Stimulation (ST+BLS)
Participants in the intervention group (ST+BLS) completed 4 consecutive sessions. In each session, participants ate a meal or snack, including a self-identified "fear food." After eating, they completed a brief questionnaire assessing thoughts, emotions, and eating disorder urges, and identified preferred thoughts and feelings. The researcher guided the BLS protocol and provided structured prompts, while participants actively performed the bilateral stimulation by engaging in alternating side-to-side tapping (e.g., shoulders, thighs, or feet), selecting the method most comfortable to them. Participants completed three 20-second rounds of tapping while focusing sequentially on: (1) their experience of the meal, (2) desired thoughts, and (3) desired emotional states. Brief discussions occurred between rounds. After BLS, participants completed a follow-up questionnaire assessing changes in thoughts and feelings. The researcher also completed a clinician-rated form.
Altri nomi:
  • BLS

Cosa sta misurando lo studio?

Misure di risultato primarie

Misura del risultato
Misura Descrizione
Lasso di tempo
Change From Pre- to Post-Bilateral Stimulation in Self-Reported Anxious Mood After Eating in the Standard Treatment Plus BLS Group Across 4 Sessions
Lasso di tempo: Across 4 consecutive sessions, completed over 4-12 weeks.
Anxious mood was assessed immediately before and after bilateral stimulation following eating episodes in the ST+BLS group. Participants rated anxious mood on a researcher-developed 1-10 numeric rating scale, where 1 indicated "not at all anxious" and 10 indicated "extremely anxious." Anxious mood was defined as worries, anticipation of the worst, fearful anticipation, or irritability. Higher scores indicated greater anxious mood.
Across 4 consecutive sessions, completed over 4-12 weeks.
Change From Pre- to Post-Bilateral Stimulation in Self-Reported Depressed Mood After Eating in the Standard Treatment Plus BLS Group Across 4 Sessions
Lasso di tempo: Across 4 consecutive sessions, completed over 4-12 weeks.
Depressed mood was assessed immediately before and after bilateral stimulation following eating episodes in the ST+BLS group. Participants rated depressed mood on a researcher-developed 1-10 numeric rating scale, where 1 indicated "not at all depressed" and 10 indicated "extremely depressed." Depressed mood was defined as numb, dissociative, shut down, hopeless, lack of pleasure, or depressed. Higher scores indicated greater depressed mood.
Across 4 consecutive sessions, completed over 4-12 weeks.

Misure di risultato secondarie

Misura del risultato
Misura Descrizione
Lasso di tempo
Change From Baseline to End of Treatment in State Anxiety as Assessed by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory in Standard Treatment Versus Standard Treatment Plus BLS
Lasso di tempo: Baseline to end of treatment, 4-12 weeks.
State anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) at baseline and end of treatment. Scores ranged from 20 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety/worse outcome. Change scores were compared descriptively between the standard treatment group and the standard treatment plus BLS group.
Baseline to end of treatment, 4-12 weeks.
Change From Baseline to End of Treatment in Trait Anxiety as Assessed by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory in Standard Treatment Versus Standard Treatment Plus BLS
Lasso di tempo: Baseline to end of treatment, 4-12 weeks.
Trait anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) at baseline and end of treatment. Scores ranged from 20 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety/worse outcome. Change scores were compared descriptively between the standard treatment group and the standard treatment plus BLS group.
Baseline to end of treatment, 4-12 weeks.
Change From Baseline to End of Treatment in Depressive Symptoms as Assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory-II in Standard Treatment Versus Standard Treatment Plus BLS
Lasso di tempo: Baseline to end of treatment, 4-12 weeks.
Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) at baseline and end of treatment. Scores ranged from 0 to 63, with higher scores indicating greater depressive symptoms/worse outcome. Change scores were compared descriptively between the standard treatment group and the standard treatment plus BLS group.
Baseline to end of treatment, 4-12 weeks.
Change From Baseline to End of Treatment in Eating Disorder Symptoms as Assessed by the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire-Short in Standard Treatment Versus Standard Treatment Plus BLS
Lasso di tempo: Baseline to end of treatment, 4-12 weeks.
Eating disorder symptoms were assessed using the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire-Short (EDE-QS) at baseline and end of treatment. Scores ranged from 0 to 36, with higher scores indicating greater eating disorder symptoms/worse outcome. Change scores were compared descriptively between the standard treatment group and the standard treatment plus BLS group.
Baseline to end of treatment, 4-12 weeks.

Altre misure di risultato

Misura del risultato
Misura Descrizione
Lasso di tempo
Change From Baseline to End of Treatment in Body Weight (4-12 Weeks)
Lasso di tempo: 4-12 weeks
Body weight (measured in kilograms) was planned to be assessed using blind weight measurements or weights obtained during clinical appointments. Due to the short study duration and logistical barriers, insufficient data were available for analysis.
4-12 weeks
Change From Baseline to End of Treatment in Laboratory Values Related to Nutritional Status (4-12 Weeks)
Lasso di tempo: 4-12 weeks
Laboratory values, including metabolic and hematologic measures related to nutritional status (measured in grams or milligrams per deciliter), were planned to be collected through standard blood draws ordered by licensed medical providers. Due to the short study duration and logistical barriers, insufficient data were available for analysis.
4-12 weeks
Change From Baseline to End of Treatment in Heart Rate (4-12 Weeks)
Lasso di tempo: 4-12 weeks
Heart rate (measured in beats per minute) was planned to be assessed during clinical appointments or via supervised home monitoring. Due to the short study duration and logistical barriers, insufficient data were available for analysis.
4-12 weeks
Change From Baseline to End of Treatment in Blood Pressure (4-12 Weeks)
Lasso di tempo: 4-12 weeks
Blood pressure (measured in millimeters mercury for blood pressure) was planned to be assessed during clinical appointments or via supervised home monitoring. Due to the short study duration and logistical barriers, insufficient data were available for analysis.
4-12 weeks

Collaboratori e investigatori

Qui è dove troverai le persone e le organizzazioni coinvolte in questo studio.

Studiare le date dei record

Queste date tengono traccia dell'avanzamento della registrazione dello studio e dell'invio dei risultati di sintesi a ClinicalTrials.gov. I record degli studi e i risultati riportati vengono esaminati dalla National Library of Medicine (NLM) per assicurarsi che soddisfino specifici standard di controllo della qualità prima di essere pubblicati sul sito Web pubblico.

Studia le date principali

Inizio studio (Effettivo)

30 maggio 2023

Completamento primario (Effettivo)

16 ottobre 2023

Completamento dello studio (Effettivo)

8 dicembre 2023

Date di iscrizione allo studio

Primo inviato

1 maggio 2026

Primo inviato che soddisfa i criteri di controllo qualità

14 maggio 2026

Primo Inserito (Effettivo)

22 maggio 2026

Aggiornamenti dei record di studio

Ultimo aggiornamento pubblicato (Effettivo)

27 maggio 2026

Ultimo aggiornamento inviato che soddisfa i criteri QC

21 maggio 2026

Ultimo verificato

1 maggio 2026

Maggiori informazioni

Termini relativi a questo studio

Piano per i dati dei singoli partecipanti (IPD)

Hai intenzione di condividere i dati dei singoli partecipanti (IPD)?

Descrizione del piano IPD

All collected IPD can be shared upon reasonable request in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)

Informazioni su farmaci e dispositivi, documenti di studio

Studia un prodotto farmaceutico regolamentato dalla FDA degli Stati Uniti

No

Studia un dispositivo regolamentato dalla FDA degli Stati Uniti

No

Queste informazioni sono state recuperate direttamente dal sito web clinicaltrials.gov senza alcuna modifica. In caso di richieste di modifica, rimozione o aggiornamento dei dettagli dello studio, contattare register@clinicaltrials.gov. Non appena verrà implementata una modifica su clinicaltrials.gov, questa verrà aggiornata automaticamente anche sul nostro sito web .

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