Extrait

Background and study aims Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a major social and public health problem with the highest death rate and treatment costs of any psychiatric disorder. Effective nutritional rehabilitation programs exist but are costly and protracted, and patients struggle to engage and persevere. There is an urgent need for a safe, inexpensive, easily administered treatment to help nutritional rehabilitation programs work better and encourage patients to comply with them. The purpose of this study is to investigate a novel pharmacotherapy, intra­nasal oxytocin (IN­OT) and its effects on patients with anorexia nervosa participating in a nutritional rehabilitation program. Oxytocin (OT) has shown promise in treating some forms of mental illness through its prosocial and anxiolytic (anxiety lowering) effects. Who can participate? Adult women diagnosed with AN and fluent in English, recruited in Sydney (Austria) and London (UK). What does the study involve? All inpatients at both clinics are given the study information sheet and provided with an opportunity to ask any questions they might have about the study. If a patient decides to take part in the trial they are provided with further information, screened for eligibility and asked to sign a consent form. The participant is then randomised into either the oxytocin (intervention) or placebo (control) group. Each participant is asked to participant in an initial assessment at the start of the study to assess how severe their eating disorder is, and their neuropsychological (brain) functioning. They are then asked to take part in two embedded single dose studies at the beginning and at the end of the trial. The single dose studies involve each participant giving themselves 18 IU of oxytocin or placebo before eating a afternoon snack and completing a questionnaire measuring anxiety. This same procedure is repeated at the end of the trial (57th dose). After the first embedded single dose study the main trial begins, during which participants are asked to self-administer intra-nasal oxytocin (18 IU) or placebo twice a day (at 10am and 3pm) under the supervision of a medically trained member of the research team. Participants are monitored throughout the trial for adverse reactions by a medically trained member of the research team as well as by clinic staff. After the trial has finished participants are followed up at regular intervals (1, 6 and 12 months) to assess outcome and service use (e.g. eating disorder related visits to the GP). What are the possible benefits and risks of participating? Not provided at time of registration Where is the study run from? Bethlem Royal Hospital (London) and Biden Institute (Australia) When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for? May 2015 to July 2017 Who is funding the study? National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia) Who is the main contact? Professor Janet Treasure [email protected]

Critère d'inclusion

• Anorexia nervosa

Liens

• ictrp
• isrctn