Binge Eating Disorder

The HALO trial is designed as a four-armed, assessor-blinded, fidelity-monitored randomized clinical trial. The goal of this randomized controlled study is to investigate the effectiveness of four different psychotherapy programs and to determine which one is most effective in reducing the number of binge-eating episodes in people with the eating disorder Binge Eating Disorder (BED), by directly comparing three intensities of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Enhanced against a manualized treatment as usual. Participants will be asked to complete a 21-weeks randomized intervention and participate in follow up assesments.

The goal of this study is to develop and test a digital program to help people with eating disorders in their everyday lives. The program uses brief surveys and sensor data collected by smartphones to understand when someone may be at higher risk for behaviors like restricting food, binge eating, or using unhealthy weight control behaviors.

This study evaluates the impact of intranasal oxytocin vs placebo in patients with binge eating disorder or episodes of binging. We hypothesize that 8 weeks of intranasal oxytocin vs placebo will improve clinical outcomes \[reduction in bingeing frequency\], and have a satisfactory safety and tolerability profile. We will also explore the predictive value of changes in homeostatic appetite, reward sensitivity, and impulse control, the identified underlying mediators, as assessed 4 weeks into the intervention, for treatment success after 8 weeks of the intervention.

The goal of this clinical study is to learn whether a brief online psychological program called COR can be delivered in a feasible and acceptable way for adults who experience recurrent binge eating. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Is the COR program acceptable to participants, in terms of satisfaction, adherence, and dropout rates? * Is the COR program feasible to deliver online, including recruitment, retention, and completion of sessions and questionnaires? * Do participants show preliminary changes over time in binge eating-related distress and emotional well-being? Participants in this study are adults who experience recurrent episodes of binge eating. They will take part in an individual online intervention that includes eight weekly sessions, a brief pre-session, and a follow-up session one month after the end of treatment. During the study, participants will: * Attend weekly online sessions focused on understanding binge eating, emotions, and the relationship with food and the body * Practice simple exercises to help manage emotional distress and food-related urges * Complete short questionnaires before, during, and after the intervention to describe their experiences The information from this study will help researchers understand whether this type of intervention can be used in future, larger studies and in real-world clinical settings.

This project includes testing circadian reset technology (CRT) on frequency of binge eating in a sample of 40 individuals with binge eating disorder. Participants will be randomized to one of two groups. Both groups use a virtual reality (VR) headset for 10 minutes (5 upon waking, 5 before sleep) daily for 1 month. One group will use the CRT software on the headset and the other group will use a software intended to be a control. Measures will be taken at baseline and 1-month. The researchers anticipate that use of CRT will improve sleep quality leading to increased appetitive control.

The goal of this study is to develop and refine an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered Exposure Therapy for Eating Disorders chatbot web-app that effectively engages adolescents and young adults and decreases anxiety about weight gain. Participants will use the web-app as a supplemental therapeutic tool during their first six weeks of treatment in a Partial Hospitalization Program. Participants will complete assessments every two weeks, including: (1) semi-structured interviews about their experience with the chatbot web-app; (2) implementation outcome measures (e.g., feasibility, usability, acceptability); and (3) anxiety about weight gain.

The main purpose is to investigate the effectiveness of a 10-week multicomponent camp intervention to reduce BE behavior in children and adolescents and explore in a randomized controlled setting if a parent-based BED-intervention has any add-on effect, attenuating the development of BE behavior in this sample. The study will include an initial follow-up assessment scheduled 10-12 weeks after camp completion and plans for long-term follow-up assessments one, three and five years after inclusion. Overall, we hypothesize that the multicomponent camp intervention will effectively reduce BE behavior in children and adolescents. Furthermore, we hypothesize that participants whose parents are randomized to receive the parental BED intervention will show a lower prevalence of BE behavior one year after the camp intervention compared with children whose parents receive standard care.

The goal of this clinical trial is to test whether a new intervention works to treat eating disorders in type 1 diabetes. Participants are assigned to one of the following: (1) Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), (2) Supportive Diabetes Counseling, or (3) a 6-month Waitlist Control. Participants in the ACT and Supportive Diabetes Counseling conditions complete 12 sessions over 12-16 weeks and use their mobile phone between sessions to increase engagement and reinforce learning. The main questions are: Does treatment improve glycemic levels, eating disorder symptoms, diabetes management and diabetes distress? Does one treatment do better than the other? How do the treatments work, if they work, and for whom? Participants complete assessments that include wearing a continuous glucose sensor and activity watch, and get a blood draw to determine HbA1c. They also complete diagnostic interviews, surveys and computer tests of attention and things like heart rate and reaction time. These assessments help us better understand the types of changes that are happening and how they might influence health and well-being.

Eating disorders (EDs) are a critical concern on college campuses. Moreover, since the COVID-19 pandemic, ED prevalence has increased by 62% in university women and 140% in university men. Resources are inadequate to meet demand, leading to delays in students' access to treatment. Untreated (or poorly treated) EDs result in greater healthcare utilization and costs to students, as well as lower academic achievement and increased psychiatric disability and mortality, suggesting a critical need for quality ED treatment on university campuses and to rethink treatment delivery. One way to address this gap in care delivery is to improve treatment accessibility and scalability, such as dissemination via mobile apps. Guided self-help Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT-gsh) is a cost-effective option that can be delivered by non-traditional service providers, such as nurses and physicians. Our scientific premise is that the mHealth CBT-gsh app, Building Healthy Eating and Self-Esteem Together for University Students (BEST-U), will lead to reductions in binge eating (primary outcome) through reductions in dietary restraint and weight/shape concerns (target mechanisms). Prior to implementing BEST-U at other universities, we need to test the intervention in a real-world setting with the end goal of disseminating at scale. Our objectives are to: 1) conduct an effectiveness test of BEST-U compared to a similar dose of present-centered therapy (PCT) in students with non-low weight binge-spectrum EDs and 2) test target mechanisms that lead to changes in binge eating. To accomplish our objectives, we will test the following specific aims: 1) conduct an RCT of BEST-U (N=37) compared to a similar dose of PCT (N=37) in students with non-low weight binge-spectrum EDs; 2) test target mechanisms that lead to changes in binge eating and other ED symptoms; and 3) characterize barriers and facilitators to implementation across two campuses. Our exploratory aim will test food reinforcement and food-choice impulsivity as potential target mechanisms or response moderators of rapid response in binge eating. Given that few studies have identified underlying mechanisms that explain how CBT-gsh works and for whom, this study may lead to improved ability to tailor or modify existing CBT-gsh or lead to novel intervention development for students who are unlikely to respond rapidly (or at all) to first line CBT interventions for EDs.

The aim of this project is to test the feasibility, acceptability and clinical impact of a mobile app-based intervention (FoodTraining) to strengthen food-related inhibitory control over 4 weeks, in a sample of people with eating or weight disorders (i.e. obesity, binge-eating disorder (BED), or bulimia nervosa (BN)) receiving standard outpatient treatment (i.e., treatment as usual (TAU) encompassing guided self-help or psychotherapy, pharmacological therapy or diet). The training will be offered in addition to TAU (experimental group) and compared to TAU alone (control group). Participants will complete questionnaires to measure eating behaviour, eating disorder psychopathology, symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress, social functioning and quality of life at baseline, 4 and 8 weeks. They will also complete momentary assessments using a mobile application (FoodTracker) to report on food intake along with related thoughts, emotions, and behaviours and will wear small, non-invasive sensors to track real-time fluctuations in glucose levels for 15 days. Participants will also perform a food-related go-no go task and a food-related temporal discounting task at baseline, 4 and 8 weeks. Finally, this study will pilot the use of a semi-structured interview to characterise the history of weight, the appetite system, eating-related habits in the family and learning of eating behaviours and attitudes in people with eating or weight disorders.

The SAFE (i.e., Sleep and Activity For Eating disorders) study aims to investigate the characteristics of sleep, daytime activity, and circadian rhythms in a sample of patients with eating disorders-specifically anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder-as well as the relationship between these variables and physiological parameters (i.e., body mass index, hormone levels, blood chemistry parameters) and psychological parameters (i.e., levels of depression and anxiety, body image, eating-disorder symptoms).

ENGAGE (Elucidating TAAR-1, Dopamine, and Norepinephrine in Binge Eating Disorder Using Solriamfetol) is a Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial to assess the efficacy and safety of solriamfetol for the treatment of binge eating disorder (BED) in adults.

When untreated, eating disorders present with tremendous burdens to affected active duty Service members and Veterans and their families, and are very costly to the DoD and VA healthcare system. A comparative effectiveness study with state-of-the-art virtual treatment for BN and BED specifically adapted for testing with the Veteran population and other underrepresented eating disorder populations will lead to major improvements in clinical outcomes. The treatment will be integrated with VA's newest telehealth technology to profoundly enhance access to care anywhere, at any time. This trial of therapist-led and self-help CBT treatments, combined with our expert panel methods to inform VA Clinical Practice Guidelines for Eating Disorders and plans for dissemination, will accelerate the pace for the transition of results both for large-scale deployment in the VA system and for real-world impact among diverse and underrepresented eating disorder populations.

The investigators will evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of a 16-session digital mindfulness-based and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention for binge eating disorder (BED) + coached self-monitoring vs. a coached self-monitoring intervention. This study is a pilot randomized controlled trial.

The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of tirzepatide in adults with obesity and binge-eating disorder, comparing tirzepatide against placebo and lisdexamfetamine dimesylate. All participants will receive guided self-help cognitive behavioral therapy.

This study is a clinical, longitudinal, non-randomized, prospective observational study that seeks to compare the treatment effects and safety of using GLP-1 analogues versus not using appetite suppressants during a lifestyle treatment program that includes individual consultations every fourth month and 10 weeks of CBT-E group therapy in patients with both obesity and BED. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the impact on BED symptomatology, while the secondary objectives include examining the potential adoption of alternative harmful coping mechanisms. Additionally, the study will assess psychological well-being and weight changes and their consequent influence on obesity-associated comorbid conditions. Adult patients with coexisting obesity and BED presenting at the Obesity clinic at Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway, will be included Patients will be divided into two groups: Group-GLP1 (n = 40), who will use GLP-1 analogues, and Group-NoMED (n = 40), who will not use appetite suppressants. Both groups will otherwise follow the routine standardized patient care pathway with follow-up controls every four months and participation in CBT group therapy sessions. Changes in symptoms of BED, alternative harmful coping strategies and mental health will be recorded at baseline and 12 months using patient-reported questionnaires, as well as anthropometric and biochemical data.

More than 30% of Black women with obesity binge eat. Binge eating may increase the risk for the development of metabolic syndrome and binge-eating-disorder (BED), which is associated with severe obesity. Though several effective treatments for binge eating exist, Black women have not fared well. Not only has their inclusion in treatment trials been limited, but when participating, they are more likely to drop out, and/or lose less weight, compared to their White counterparts. Furthermore, treatment for binge eating is often not available in primary care and community-based settings places where Black women are more likely to receive treatment for their eating and weight-related concerns. Currently, there is scant intervention research to treat binge eating in Black women. With the highest rates of obesity (57%) nationally, Black women are in need of culturally-relevant treatments for binge eating and weight gain prevention. Given the established relationship between frequent binge eating and subsequent weight gain, addressing binge eating among Black women with obesity is imperative.

Black Americans are disproportionately affected by diabetes, with nearly double the rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), compared to non-Hispanic White adults. Though numerous factors affect these disparities, one modifiable risk factor may be that of binge eating (BE), which increases risk for binge-eating disorder (BED), which is associated with severe obesity, and often precedes a T2DM diagnosis, beginning in childhood or adolescence. Nearly 30% of Black women with obesity report binge eating episodes. Furthermore, given that binge and overeating may disparately increase the odds of obesity in Black adults (15-fold increase vs. 6-fold increase in White adults), reducing this behavior will be critical to prevent continued disparities in T2DM diagnosis. Given that Black women have the highest rates of obesity in the nation (57%), report disparate rates of weight gain between young adulthood and mid adulthood, and report disparate rates of emotional eating in adolescence, which is a risk factor for BE, one pathway to reducing disparities in T2DM risk in Black women may be to reduce binge eating and prevent weight gain in emerging adulthood (ages 18-25).

The goal of this exploratory, interventional, multicentre study is to compare the prefrontal activity during a negative emotion regulation task in women with Binge-Eating Disorder (BED) and healthy women with and without Emotional Eating (EE). The aim of this study is to compare the prefrontal processing of cognitive control of emotions between BED and EE and to compare the emotional processing and emotional experience between BED and EE. The study will thus compare four experimental groups: patients with BED, BMI-matched healthy volunteers with EE, BMI-matched healthy volunteers, and healthy volunteers of normal weight without BED. Participants will perform a down-regulation task of negative emotions elicited by negative pictures. During this task, their cerebral activity will be recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), as well as their autonomous activity (skin conductance, pulse rate, respiration rate).

The overarching intention of the Eating Disorder Genetics Initiative 2 (EDGI2) is to increase sample size, diversity, and eating disorder phenotypes. The investigators are enrolling 20,000 new participants with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), binge-eating disorder (BED), avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), and controls in the US, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, and Denmark. A primary study goal is to enroll at least 30% of participants from underrepresented groups. Participants are asked to complete a series of questionnaires and submit a saliva sample for genotyping. The goal is to better understand eating disorders and how they relate to each other so that better treatments can be developed.

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is a recently recognized eating disorder, characterized by recurrent episodes of overeating with a loss of control. Highly comorbid with obesity, BED is associated with poor outcomes in weight loss treatments and presents unique challenges due to its distinct neuro-psycho-biological mechanisms, which remain poorly understood. The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis (MGBA) is a bidirectional communication system linking the gut microbiota with the central nervous system, that plays a critical role in regulating appetite, mood, and eating behavior. Dysregulations in MGBA may contribute to the development and maintenance of BED, offering a novel framework for understanding its complex mechanisms and identifying new therapeutic targets. Psychobiotics -pre-, pro-, or symbiotics that modulate the microbiota- emerge as a promising treatment strategy to address BED symptoms by influencing MGBA activity. The goal of this randomized clinical trial (RCT) is to investigate the role of psychobiotics in modulating the gut-brain axis and improving binge eating in adults, with a particular focus on evaluating these effects independently of obesity status. This project stands out for its comprehensive approach to understanding BED, integrating psychological, neurofunctional, hormonal, and microbiota factors that contribute to this complex disorder. The main questions it aims to answer are: * What specific alterations in the MGBA pathways are associated with BED? * Can psychobiotic supplementation effectively reverse microbiota alterations and modulate MGBA activity, ultimately improving BED symptoms? Researchers will compare participants receiving psychobiotics to those receiving a look-alike substance that contains no drug (a placebo) to evaluate whether psychobiotics impact endocrine hormones, neurofunction, psychological and behavioral factors related to eating regulation, and BED symptoms. Participants will: * Undergo an assessment protocol that includes microbiota sampling, blood tests for hormone analysis, neurofunctional evaluations, and psychological/behavioral assessments before and after the psychobiotics/ placebo intervention. * Take psychobiotics or a placebo daily for 12 weeks and receive well-being monitoring * Participate in follow-up visits three months after the intervention to monitor changes in BED symptoms and related parameters.

The proposed study is an open label, non randomized, waitlist controlled single group feasibility study of the feasibility and usability of a digital intervention (called ChangeBite) to be used by individuals with obesity and comorbid binge eating behavior. The proposed research will include approximately 30 participants. Participants will be recruited for this single group pilot trial using online advertising to attend a virtual screening session. Screened participants willing and eligible to participate, will receive informed consent and formally start ChangeBite. Participants will be instructed to engage with ChangeBite and attend follow up assessments on scheduled video calls. Feasibility and acceptability of implementation will be assessed by collecting data on recruitment, retention, usability and satisfaction. The research team will also collect assessment data from participants on feasibility, and usability. In addition to self report scales, semi-structured interviews will be completed with a trained research team member via video call and will be partially recorded. Assessments will be done at baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks. Participants' app use frequency and duration will be tracked using software analytics. Participants' body weight will be captured weekly using a timestamped picture of their weight as it appears on their scale and Body Mass Index will be calculated with these data points.

The goal of this observational study is to explore if different and specific profiles can be identified in adults with binge eating disorder (BED) depending on their additional eating pathology, emotion regulation and executive functions. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Is there different and specific subgroups of patients with BED according to baseline profiles in emotion regulation, executive function and additional eating pathology (including restriction, chaotic eating, grazing and eating on external cues)? * Are subgroups of individuals with BED (based on identified profiles) associated with outcome at end of treatment and follow-up? * What is the trajectories in remission rates of specific symptom dimensions (eating disorder pathology, emotion regulation, executive function, and depressive symptoms) in individuals with BED and is there specific trajectory profiles in these dimensions? * Is early changes in specific symptom dimensions (eating pathology, emotion regulation, executive function, or depression) associated with outcome of BED? Participants will be asked to fill in questionnaires before treatment as usual, 10 weeks into treatment, at end of treatment and at 6- and 12-month follow-up.

The goal of this observational longitudinal study is to investigate characteristics and factors associated with the development of Severe and Enduring Eating Disorders (SEED). In this project, the researchers will follow two prospective cohorts of patients with eating disorders (ED), one adolescent (ages 14-17) and one adult (ages 18+), in terms of change in and impact of clinical, psychological, and biological risk factors. Data will be collected at baseline, after treatment, two years after baseline, and thereafter five, 10 and 20 years after baseline. Participants will be asked to undergo a physical examination, leave blood samples, be interviewed, and fill in questionnaires. If the participants are minors, their care takers will also fill in the questionnaires. The study aims to explore how clinical, psychological, and biological risk factors-including comorbidity, personality characteristics, difficulties with emotion regulation (ER), cognitive inflexibility, loneliness, severe ED symptoms, and inflammatory activation-contribute to a chronic course of the disorder.

* Binge Eating Disorder (BED) has been fairly recently introduced into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5 psychiatric classification and its severity criteria are still not well established. * Moreover, it remains unclear whether BED is associated with greater metabolic severity or more somatic comorbidities, especially in obesity. * Improved BED severity staging could lead to a better definition of management strategies and , therefore, facilitate screening and care. The investigators' hypothesis is that an improved assessment of the impulsivity-compulsivity spectrum, emotional regulation, attentional impairment and somatic or psychiatric comorbidities will result in a better distinction between the severe form of BED (e.g., highly impulsive and somatically complicated) from milder form (e.g., more compulsive and less somatically complicated).