Testing the Effects of RISE on Eating Pathology
- Conditions
- Eating Disorder Symptoms
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Reconnecting to Internal Sensations and Experiences
- Registration Number
- NCT05837312
- Lead Sponsor
- Auburn University
- Brief Summary
Interoception is the process of perceiving one's bodily sensations. Interoception is critical for survival and maintaining homeostasis, as it motivates sensation- and need-specific autonomic reflexes and adaptive behaviors (e.g., eating when hungry, terminating eating upon fullness, drinking when thirsty). Not all individuals have accurate interoceptive abilities. Individuals with eating disorders often have low perception of gastrointestinal, pain, and emotion sensations. Interoceptive dysfunction is believed to influence the development and maintenance of many forms of psychopathology. Identifying effective ways to restore accurate interoceptive processing is an important aim for clinical researchers. The goal of the present study is to continue to test the effectiveness of a training for interoceptive dysfunction that aims to reconnect individuals with eating disorders with their internal sensations, which is called, Reconnecting to Internal Sensations.
- Detailed Description
There are individual differences in how well people are able to recognize interoceptive sensations. Research supports a role for impaired interoception in the etiology of eating disorders (EDs), with the idea being that individuals who are out of touch with hunger and/or satiety are more vulnerable to restrictive and binge eating behaviors, respectively. Researchers have connected interoceptive impairment to self-injurious behaviors more broadly, including both direct (i.e., non-suicidal self-injury and suicide attempts) and indirect (i.e., ED behaviors) forms. The investigators have found support for the supposition that impaired interoception-or bodily disconnect-allows people to inflict pain (whether that be through ED behaviors or self-injury) upon themselves, as it is much easier to harm something one is unattached to versus something one cares for. Thus, improving interoception (e.g., helping people connect better with their bodies) may improve ED outcomes. This project seeks to test an accessible, online intervention designed to improve interoception and thereby reduce ED symptoms.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 50
- Clinical diagnosis of an eating disorder
- Be a patient at the Louisville Center for Eating Disorders
- Above age 10
*Under age 10
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- SINGLE_GROUP
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Reconnecting to Internal Sensations and Experiences Reconnecting to Internal Sensations and Experiences The interoceptive training consists of four 25-30 minute modules (plus 15-minutes worth of optional weekly practice) that focus on multiple aspects of interoception including: body awareness, body sensations and movement, eating, health and selfcare, emotional awareness, and understanding the self in relation to others. These modules are delivered weekly.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, Version 2 Within one week of completing the intervention The Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, Version 2 is 37-item scale that has 8 subscales that measure the ability to recognize and accurately identify emotions and physiological sensations. Each item is rated on a 0-5 Likert scale, thus total scores can range from 0-185. Higher scores indicate better interoceptive awareness.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire Within one week of completing the intervention The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire is a self-report assessment of eating disorder symptoms that assesses eating disorder behaviors (e.g., excessive exercise, binging, purging, fasting) and includes 4 subscales: weight concerns, shape concerns, restraint, and eating concerns. Items are rated on a 0 (No days) to 6 (Every day) scale. The global score is computed by summing the items and taking the mean, thus scores can range from 0-6. Higher scores indicate more eating pathology.
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Louisville Center For Eating Disorders
🇺🇸Louisville, Kentucky, United States