Note: This study is currently only recruiting patients in the hospital.
If you are interested in being notified if this study begins recruiting from the general population, please use the 'I Am Interested' button below.
Adults with Eating Difficulties Needed for Project FEED at MGH
This project is not recruiting.
Overview
What we are studying
In this research study we want to learn more about how avoidant and restrictive eating can affect different hormones and regions of the brain. Researchers have shown that the levels of these hormones differ in youth who have difficulty eating certain types of food compared to youth who do not have such difficulties. Yet, we do yet have much information on the neurobiology of adults with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). We also do not yet have information on the relationship between emotions and avoidant/restrictive eating.
Why it is important
Avoidant/restrictive eating patterns are associated with high levels of impairment and great medical difficulties. This research will help us understand how emotions, brain patterns, and hormones all interact to give rise to avoidant/restrictive eating patterns. Learning this informaiton will help us design comprehensive interventions that help individuals with avoidant/restrictive eating.
What we hope to accomplish
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Principal Investigator
Who can participate
Individuals ages 21-40 with avoidant/restrictive eating patterns. In other words, this includes individuals who restrict volume or variety of food intake for reasons that are NOT due to influencing their shape or weight. Some examples of reasons for food restriction may include:
1) A sensory senstivity to taste, texture, smell, or temperature of food
2) A fear that eating certain foods may give them gastrointestinal discomfort, cause them to vomit, or cause them to choke
3) A lack of interest in food/eating and/or low appetite
Who cannot participate
Individuals who restrict food intake for reasons that ARE due to shape or weight (e.g., individuals with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge eating disorder).
What you may be asked to do
Participants will take part in a screening visit (approx. 4 hours), a main study visit (approx. 5 hours), and complete one week of smartphone Screening visit (approx. 4 hours): We will do some tests and procedures to see if you qualify to take part in this research study. The study doctor will review the results of these tests and procedures. Participants will also answer some questionnaires at this visit. Smartphone questionnaires: You will get information and training on how to respond to ecological momentary assessment (EMA) prompts on your smart phone. During this part of the study, we will send you prompts on your smartphone asking about your emotions, eating behaviors, and different situations you may be experiencing and will ask that you respond to them throughout the day. Following Visit 2, you will spend 2 days practicing responding to these EMA prompts. Following these 2 days of practice, you will get feedback on your practice days. Then you will spend 7 days responding to the EMA prompts. During this time, we will continue to you prompts on your smartphone asking about your emotions and different situations you may be experiencing and will ask that you respond to them throughout the day.
surveys on their own.
Main study visit ( approx. 5 hours): We will ask you not to eat or drink fluids other than water for 8 hours before this visit. During the visit, we will ask you questions about your mood and how you feel, give you a physical exam and measure your height and weight, elbow size, and hip and waist circumferences, ask you questions to see if it is safe for you to have an MRI. If it is not safe for you to have an MRI scan, then we will perform all other study assessments except for the MRI scan, if you are female, we will ask you for a urine sample to test for pregnancy, draw a small amount of blood, ask you to fill out questionnaires about your mood, appetite, and eating, perform MRI scanning on your brain (during the first scan, youʼll look at pictures of different types of foods), and ask you to eat a meal that we will give you that contains both liquids (such as juice) and solid food.
Project activities may include:
- Survey
- Blood draw
- MRI scan
Estimated Time Commitment
10 hours over 2 weeks
What You May Get
Participants may receive up to $375 for their time contributing to our research
Location
Travel
- Accessible by public transportation
- Parking available
- Local travel reimbursed
- Out of state travel possibly reimbursed
Travel and Parking Details
Additional Information
Funding Source
- NIH or Other Federal