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

Part of paid clinical trials in San Francisco, California.

Sponsor
San Francisco State University
Study ID
NCT07600970
Status
Completed

Conditions

  • Eating Disorders
  • Eating Disorders Symptoms

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Bilateral Stimulation — BEHAVIORAL
    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.

Study Details

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.

Key Dates

Start date
May 30, 2023
Status verified
May 2026
Primary completion
Oct 16, 2023
Completion
Dec 8, 2023

Study Design

Enrollment
8 participants (actual)
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT

Arms

  • No Intervention: Standard Outpatient Eating Disorder Treatment (ST)
  • Experimental: Standard Outpatient Eating Disorder Treatment plus Bilateral Stimulation (ST+BLS)

Primary Outcome Measure

Change From Pre- to Post-Bilateral Stimulation in Self-Reported Anxious Mood After Eating in the Standard Treatment Plus BLS Group Across 4 Sessions [ Time Frame: Across 4 consecutive sessions, completed over 4-12 weeks. ]

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
San Francisco State UniversitySan FranciscoCalifornia94132-

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By research site
San Francisco State University· San Francisco, CA

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