Research Aims to Find Most Effective Family-Based Treatment for Anorexia

Source: University of California, San Diego Health Sciences

Released: Wed 26-Mar-2008, 17:00 ET
Research Aims to Find Most Effective Family-Based Treatment for Anorexia
Libraries Medical News

Description: Experts no longer consider the family to be the cause of a young person's onset of anorexia; instead, the family is being looked to as a solution for this serious and potentially lethal disease.

Newswise - Experts no longer consider the family to be the cause of a young person's onset of anorexia; instead, the family is being looked to as a solution for this serious and potentially lethal disease.

As part of the largest study of its kind ever conducted, a team led by eating disorders expert Walter Kaye, M.D., professor of psychiatry and director of the UC San Diego Eating Disorders Program at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, will begin enrolling families of adolescent anorexic patients in a trial to determine the type of family treatment plan most effective in fighting the disease. The trial will also look at the effectiveness of fluoxetine (Prozac) in combination with family therapy in a random sampling of the patients with anorexia. The study is likely to provide much-needed guidance to clinicians in the treatment of adolescent anorexia nervosa, a life-threatening disorder that affects 1 in 200 adolescents in this country.

“There have been few controlled comparisons of treatment options for this disorder, which often leaves family members and even health care providers baffled,” said Kaye, who has published more than 300 articles on the neurobiology and treatment of eating disorders. Anorexia is characterized by the relentless pursuit of thinness, emaciation and the obsessive fear of gaining weight. Its symptoms commonly begin during adolescence, but strike throughout the lifespan, and the disease is nine times more common in females than in males.

“Anorexia has the highest death rate of any psychiatric disorder, which is why it is so critical to find the most powerful tools to work in supporting the anorexic patient and his or her family,” said Kaye.

UC San Diego is one of seven international sites that will participate in the trial, which is being led by Stewart Agras, M.D., and James Lock, M.D., Ph.D., of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine. Over the next two years, the study will recruit 240 families across the United States and Canada. Other study sites include Sheppard Pratt Health System, Baltimore; Weill Medical College at Cornell University, New York; Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis; Toronto General Hospital; and Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital,Tulsa.

Patients and their families will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will receive “systemic family therapy,” an approach which more closely represents the type of family therapy typically practiced in the community. This therapeutic approach focuses on the dynamic of the family, rather than the individual, particularly in relation to the issues that bring them to therapy. This approach views eating difficulties as arising from the relationships and interactions that develop between individuals in the family.

The second, called “Maudsley” behavioral family therapy – first studied at London's Maudsley Hospital – empowers the parents to take control of the patient's eating and rejects the notion that a fundamental psychological problem exists within the family. Parents learn strategies to break the anorexic individual's cycle of refusing food.

“We may find that different approaches work better for patients with a particular profile,” said Kaye. As part of the study, characteristics and core symptoms such as a drive for thinness or anxious, obsessional and perfectionist traits, will be examined. In addition, the researchers will look at the effects of the drug fluoxetine (commonly known as Prozac) as compared to a placebo as an aid to maintaining normal weight by reducing anxiety, obsessional behavior and other eating disorder-related symptoms.

For more information, interested families can visit the UC San Diego Eating Disorder Treatment and Research Program web site at http://eatingdisorders.ucsd.edu or the study web site at http://anorexiastudy.stanford.edu. Site contact information for those interested in participating is as follows:

San Diego, CA: UC San Diego Eating Disorder Treatment and Research Program (858) 366-2525 edresearch@ucsd.edu

Baltimore, MD: Center for Eating Disorders Sheppard Pratt Health System (410) 427-3854 CDiLallo@sheppardpratt.org

New York, NY: Eating Disorders Research Program Weill Medical College of Cornell University (914) 997-4395 sab2024@med.cornell.edu

Saint Louis, MO: Washington University School of Medicine (314) 286-0076 ceciln@psychiatry.wustl.edu

Toronto, ON, Canada: Toronto General Hospital (416) 340-4800 ext. 3894 revajs@mac.com

Tulsa, OK: Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital (918) 491-3722 nlmorales@saintfrancis.com

Research Study using MRI to examine Bulimia Nervosa in adolescent girls

Would you like to participate in a research study?

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

• 12-21 yrs old
• Females
• All ethnic groups

WHERE?

• The study will take place at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive in Manhattan.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

• Participation in our study will include a visit that will require 5-6 hours of your time and include interviews, games and puzzles, and an MRI.
• The total compensation will be $100 per person. For more information please call the Eating Disorders Clinic at (212) 543-5316 and mention the BN MRI study.

Contact: Rachel Marsh, Ph.D.

Telephone: (212) 543-5316

Email: marshr@childpsych.columbia.edu or lb2518@columbia.edu

Self-Care of Mental-Health Professionals Working in the Field of Eating Disorders

We are conducting a survey to explore the unique self-care considerations for those mental-health professionals working in the field of eating disorders. We hope the study will provide useful information that will assist us in determining helpful strategies to encourage the practice of self-care in this field. Participation is completely voluntary and all responses are confidential. This project has been approved by the Office of Human Research Protection at the University of California at Davis. More detailed information is included below and in the Informed Consent Document.

Access the survey

Study Information

Your participation is requested for a study that will be assessing eating disorder therapists need for self-care, the importance of self-care and your own specific strategies employed for self-care. Your responses to the web-based survey will provide useful information for us in our exploration of self-care among eating disorder mental-health professionals. Your participation in the survey is, of course, completely voluntary. You can choose to withdraw from participation at any point.

Your responses will remain confidential and results will be disseminated only in aggregate form. It takes most individuals approximately 15-20 minutes to complete the survey. To access the survey, you can click on the link below or cut and paste (or type) the link into your web browser. If you have any questions about this study, please contact the principal investigator, Dr. Katie Cougevan at 530-752-0871 x 26 from 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday, or by email: kpcougevan@ucdavis.edu. Please be sure to read the Participants Bill of Rights and Informed Consent Document in full before deciding whether you would like to participate.

Study of Women Who Restrict Food Intake

This IRB approved research study from Nova Southeastern University studies women who restrict food intake currently or in the past. The study is open to women not from the U.S who are living anywhere in the United States.

Participant criteria: You must:

• Be of adult age (18 years old or older)
• Be from another country now living in the U.S.
• Suffer from anorexia in the past or present
• Be willing to participate in audio recorded interviews in person or by telephone

*Compensation: Compensation will be provided for those who complete the interview

$25 Gift Certificate

*Time Commitment: 1-3 hour interview in person or by telephone.

*Contact: Principal Investigator, Lisa C. Palmer, M.S., or 954-907-3446

*Address: Brief Therapy Institute, 3301 College Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Klarman Family Foundation Grants
Program In Eating Disorders Research

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Klarman Family Foundation Grants Program in Eating Disorders Research. The Program's goal is to expand the number of outstanding scientists whose research explores the basic biology of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and/or binge eating disorder. The long term goal is to accelerate progress in developing effective treatments for these disorders. Examples of funding areas include but are not limited to molecular genetic analysis of relevant neural circuit assembly and function; animal models created by genetically altering neural circuits; testing of new chemical entities that might be used in animal models as exploratory treatments; and brain imaging approaches that identify neuro-chemical pathways in patients with these disorders. Clinical psychothera-peutic studies, medication trials and research in the medical complications of eating disorders are currently outside the scope of this Program.

	DEADLINE FOR LETTER OF INTENT January 10, 2008 at 1:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time (EST)
	FUNDING PERIOD AND GRANT AMOUNT June 1, 2008 – May 31, 2010 Up to five $400,000 awards at $200,000 per year (inclusive of 10% institutional overhead)
	APPLICATION GUIDELINES AND FORMS www.tmfnet.org/grantmake.html
	ELIGIBILITY AND AWARD SELECTION Applicants must hold a faculty appointment at a U.S. not-for-profit research institution. Eligibility is not limited to those investigators currently working in eating disorders research. Letters of Intent will be evaluated by a Scientific Review Committee; applicants invited to submit a full proposal will be notified in February.

The Klarman Family Foundation Grants Program in Eating Disorders Research is administered by The Medical Foundation, a not-for-profit Boston-based grants management organization.

Please direct questions to 617-279-2240, x702 or

NEW! Research Funding Opportunity

There's a new research funding opportunity in eating disorders and neuroscience available through the Klarman Family Foundation Grants Program in Eating Disorders Research. To learn more about these grants for investigators with a faculty appointment at a U.S. not-for-profit institution, visit: http://www.tmfnet.org/grantmake.html#klarman.

Trial of Quetiapine (Seroquel) in Anorexia Nervosa

CURRENT RESEARCH STUDIES - USCD EATING DISORDERS PROGRAM:
Double-blind Placebo-controlled trial of Quetiapine (Seroquel) in Anorexia Nervosa: HRPP#051027

This research study is being held at UCSD to determine whether the medication Quetiapine helps people suffering from anorexia nervosa by reducing core eating disorders symptoms. This study will see if the medication Quetiapine helps symptoms of anxiety, depression, and obsessionality, in addition to increasing BMI. Men and women between the ages of 18-65 and are currently suffering from anorexia nervosa are needed. This study involves completion of: (a.) interviews, (b.) questionnaires, (c.) lab work, and (d.) medication management. The total time commitment for this study is approximately 18 hours, which will be spread out over the course of 8-10 weeks. The compensation for completion of this study and all related materials will be $360.

To see if you qualify for this study, please contact Eating Disorders Research at (858) 366-2525.

Family Therapy and Fluoxetine in the Treatment of Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa

This research study is a multi-site study done at UCSD to investigate interventions for anorexia nervosa. Adolescents between the ages of 12-18, currently suffering from anorexia nervosa, and their families are needed. The treatments for this study will be provided free of charge and will involve weekly family therapy sessions in one of tow therapeutic approaches. Medication will also be administered throughout treatment, with participants receiving either Fluoxetine or a placebo. HRPP #051141

For more information about this research study or to see if you and your family qualify, please contact EDresearch@ucsd.edu or (858) 366-2525

Neurotransmitters Contribute to Anorexia and Bulimia

This website describes studies that explore how neurotransmitters in the brain may contribute to symptoms in people with Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa. It is our intent that this website will be an educational tool for those in academia as well as for those afflicted with eating disorders and their families.

This research is being done at the Anorexia and Bulimia Research Module, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Contact Information
1-866-265-9289
EDResearch@upmc.edu

Links to the websites of our genetics collaborations:
www.anbn.org and www.angenetics.org

Anorexia

Anorexia Nervosa Research

The Anorexia File

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is conducting a new long-term study of anorexia nervosa in 240 teens, between the ages of 12 to 18 years. Recruiting of subjects begins on May 1 and the study will follow subjects for a four-year period. Six research facilities in the United States and Canada will work together with the NIMH on the new study, which will focus on early-intervention treatments. http://health.msn.com/centers/mentalhealth/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100159790

UCSD Researchers Seek Men and Women Suffering From Anorexia Nervosa: study conducted at UCSD, in California, to determine whether the medication Quetiapine helps people suffering from anorexia nervosa by reducing core eating disorder symptoms, as well as symptoms of anxiety, depression and obsessional thinking. Men and women between the ages of 18-65 and currently suffering from anorexia nervosa are needed. This study involves the completion of interviews, questionnaires, lab work and medication management. The total time commitment for this study is approximately 18 hours, which will be spread out over the course of 8-10 weeks. The compensation for completion of this study and all related materials will be $360. For more information, contact UCSD Eating Disorder Treatment and Research Program at 858-366-2525 or email edresearch@ucsd.edu.

Study of Therapy for Bone Loss in Anorexia Nervosa: The Neuroendocrine Unit of Massachusetts General Hospital is conducting research studies on anorexia-induced bone loss. Their screening study is for men and women age 12-50 with anorexia nervosa. They are investigating causes of osteopenia (or bone loss) in the spine, hip, wrist and total body. The study involves one visit of approximately 3 hours. Their treatment study is for women aged 18-45 with anorexia nervosa and absent or irregular menstrual periods. They are investigating the combined use of a natural hormone and a medication that is effective for bone loss in postmenopausal women as a novel treatment for the bone loss seen in women with anorexia nervosa. They hope that the combination of these two investigational medications will help rebuild depleted bone and prevent further bone breakdown in women with anorexia nervosa. The study consists of 6 visits over 12 months. A stipend of up to $675 is awarded throughout the course of the study. If interested, call Erinne Meenaghan, N.P. at 617-724-7393 or email nedresearchstudies@partners.org.

Bulimia

The Bulimia File

Bulimia Nervosa Research

Bulimia Nervosa Study: Free confidential treatment is available to those who are eligible. Research conducted in Massachusetts. Do you or someone you know binge eat? Do you or someone you know compensate by vomiting or other extremes? Researchers are now enrolling participants (ages 18-65) in a free treatment study investigating two active treatments, including education and counseling, for bulimia nervosa. If interested call 617-353-9610 or visit www.bu.edu/anxiety.

NIMH-funded, IRB-Approved Study of Adolescents with Bulimia Nervosa (ages 12 - 21 years). This study takes place at NYSPI/Columbia University(New York, NY) and compensation is provided for participation ($100). For more information contact Rachel Marsh, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology, Columbia University/NYSPI, at 212-543-5384 or email marshr@childpsych.columbia.edu.

Generalized research of eating Disorders

Eating Disorders Specialist
Papers and Publications on eating disorders.

Doctor's Guide Channels
Abstracts in Eating Disorders Research

RESEARCH ARTICLES on Eating Disorders @ MedLine

CenterWatch Clinical Trials: Anorexia and Bulimia

NYSPI Eating Disorders Research Unit at Columbia University
research of the psychobiology and treatment of eating disorders.

UCSD Researchers Seek Women Recovered from Eating Disorders: Research conducted at UCSD, in California, to determine if the brain can tell the difference in caloric content of food even if subjects cannot consciously tell. The total time commitment for this study is approximately 6-8 hours, which will be spread out over the course of several weeks. The compensation for completion of this study and all related materials will be $150. For more information, contact UCSD Eating Disorder Treatment and Research Program at 858-366-2525 or email edresearch@ucsd.edu.