Neuroscience-informed Treatment to Remotely Target Reward Mechanisms in Post-acute Anorexia Nervosa

The investigators will recruit individuals with broadly-defined AN (n = 80) who are currently in or have recently participated in higher-level eating disorder treatment (e.g., residential, partial hospitalization/day treatment, intensive outpatient treatment). Interested participants will sign consent, complete eligibility assessments, and will be randomized to receive Positive Affect Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa (PAT-AN) or Psychoeducation and Behavioral Therapy (PBT) through teletherapy shortly following discharge from higher level of care. Participants can participate in most other forms of outpatient treatment while receiving the research intervention. Participants will engage in 24 weeks of PAT-AN or PBT starting in the first 3 months post-discharge. At each session, the investigators will complete brief measures assessing treatment acceptability, affect, and eating disorder symptoms. Participants will also complete an assessment battery of self-report, EMA, and neurocognitive measures evaluating primary outcomes (BMI; eating disorder symptoms), secondary outcomes (depression, anxiety, and suicidality), and presumed treatment mechanisms at baseline, end of treatment (EOT), and 3-month follow-up (FU). All assessments will be remotely delivered via HIPAA-compliant platforms.

NCT Number	NCT05799872
Lead Sponsor	Virginia Commonwealth University Collaborators: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Conditions	Anorexia Nervosa
Enrollment	90 participants
Start Date	2023-12-06
Primary Completion	2026-08-31 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-08-31 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-08-11