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Ketogenic Diet and Brain Response in Anorexia Nervosa

University of California, San Diego · NCT06540703

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Opens the official ClinicalTrials.gov record, with the study team’s contacts. Bored Studies doesn’t enroll anyone.

Key facts

Compensation
Not posted. Ask the study team before screening.
Who can join
Ages 18–45 · All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Study type
Interventional · Not applicable
Target enrollment
90
US sites recruiting
1
Study start
October 2, 2024
Record last updated
April 23, 2026

Status re-checked against ClinicalTrials.gov within the last 12 hours.

What the study is about

This is a longitudinal study with an open design in weight recovered anorexia nervosa (wrAN) individuals. Healthy controls (HC) will also be assessed. Study participants will be carefully assessed and will have 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) scans for assessment of regional brain glucose uptake. The wrAN group will be compared to healthy controls. Participants in the wrAN group will then complete 14 weeks of therapeutic ketogenic diet (TKD). At the end of the TKD study, participants will have assessments and a second [18F]FDG and TMS/EEG scan. Study participants will be followed over six months after the intervention. This follow-up procedure will help determine whether symptom improvement will be stable or worsen in individuals who choose to continue or discontinue the TKD intervention. This will be a naturalistic follow-up.

Being studied: Therapeutic Ketogenic Diet (TKD)

Conditions: Anorexia Nervosa

Eligibility criteria

Copied from the official record. The study team makes the final decision at screening.

Show full criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Weight Recovered Anorexia Nervosa (wrAN)

  • Age 18-45 years old
  • Male and Female sexes
  • All ethnic backgrounds
  • History of restricting-type anorexia nervosa (AN) according to DSM-5 criteria
  • Weight recovered with a body mass index > 17.5 for at least one month at the time of study
  • Elevated eating disorder-relevant behaviors on the Eating Disorders Inventory-3 and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire

Healthy Control Group

  • Age 18-45 years old
  • Male and Female sexes
  • All ethnic backgrounds
  • Normal lifetime BMI according to CDC

Exclusion Criteria

Weight Recovered Anorexia Nervosa (AN)

  • Current pregnancy or nursing (will have to agree to contraceptive measures if sexually active)
  • Lifetime history of bipolar I disorder or psychosis
  • Current substance abuse or dependence in the past 3 months
  • Psychotic illness/other organic brain syndromes, dementia, somatization disorders or conversion disorders
  • History of significant head trauma
  • Indication of intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder

Healthy Control Group

  • No lifetime psychiatric illness and in particular no eating disorder history
  • Not be taking medication, and will not have a first degree relative with an eating disorder.

No subject in either group will have or be

  • mental retardation or pervasive developmental disorder
  • organic brain syndrome
  • dementia
  • psychotic disorder
  • bipolar disorder
  • somatic symptom
  • conversion disorder
  • current alcohol or substance use disorder
  • indication of major medical illness including a history of seizure disorder
  • pregnant or nursing at the time of the study
  • a history of traumatic brain injury.
  • diabetes mellitus or other metabolic disorders that could worsen on a ketogenic diet
  • intracranial or any other metal object within or near the head that cannot be safely removed, excluding the mouth
  • implanted neurostimulators, intracardiac lines, or heart disease

Recruiting US locations

  • University of California San Diego

    San Diego, CA 92121

    Site contact: Megan E Shott, BS · 858-246-5272 · mshott@health.ucsd.edu

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Ketogenic Diet and Brain Response in Anorexia Nervosa (NCT06540703) | Bored Studies