NCT06631729 Targeting Transdiagnostic Self-regulatory Factors and Eating Disorder Pathology Among Adults With BInge-spectrum Eating disOrders: A mHEALTH Interoceptive Exposure Intervention (the Bio-HEALTH Study)
| NCT ID | NCT06631729 |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Phase | — |
| Sponsor | University of Minnesota |
| Condition | Eating Disorders |
| Study Type | INTERVENTIONAL |
| Enrollment | 144 participants |
| Start Date | 2025-01-15 |
| Primary Completion | 2026-12-31 |
Eligibility & Interventions
Eligibility Fast-Check
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What to Expect as a Participant
You will actively receive the study intervention — which may be a drug, biologic, device, or procedure.
This trial targets 144 participants in total. It began in 2025-01-15 with a primary completion date of 2026-12-31.
⚠ This information is for research awareness only. Always consult your physician before joining any clinical trial. Participation is voluntary and you may withdraw at any time.
Brief Summary
The present study will be fully remote (virtual) and include observational design features (assessments) plus a clinical trial. All assessments will be completed using HIPAA-approved platforms (e.g., Qualtrics, MindLogger EMA platform). After screening via Qualtrics to determine eligibility (described below), participants will complete a cross-sectional survey via Qualtrics, followed by a baseline EMA period. During the baseline EMA period, participants will receive brief (3-5 minutes) surveys on their mobile devices 6 times per day for 7-days via the MindLogger app. During the baseline EMA period, participants will also be asked to wear non-invasive chest-worn Holter monitors (Polar H10 Holter monitors) that will capture their heartrate variability data. They will then complete the 4-week intervention (HRV bio or ED-JITAI treatment arms; see below), followed by a post-intervention 7-day EMA assessment period while they also wear the Holter monitors. Recruitment is expected to last for 1.5 years. In HRV-bio, participants will also complete a HRV biofeedback task via the Elite HRV app. In this intervention, participants will learn how to use their HRV data that they will see in real-time via the Elite HRV app to improve their HRV by engaging in an app-guided diaphragmatic breathing exercise. They will complete this exercise twice daily (morning, night). In ED-JITAI, participants will be prompted to complete focused, guided body scan tasks that will be sent to them via the MindLogger app. These guided tasks will be sent to them in the form of 1 of 3 brief (3-5 minute) videos via the MindLogger app. The body scans will be designed to promote participants' connection with, vs. distancing/distraction from, feared ED sensations (e.g., hunger, satiety, bloating). Participants will receive prompts to complete the body scans at times when they report via EMA that they are experiencing worse interoception than usual. "Worse interoception than usual" will be defined as participants' EMA-reported interoception scores during the intervention period that fall 1 SD or more above their baseline EMA-reported interoception levels.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * ages 18-64; * no changes to ED treatment in the past 4-weeks; * agree not to access other eating disorder treatments throughout the studies (unless warranted by a worsening of participants' symptoms during the study period; see Monitoring Participant Safety for more information); * no bariatric surgery (prior or planned during the study period); * no pregnancy or lactation (current or planned during the study); * own an Apple or Android-brand iOS smartphone (which is required for compatibility with the apps used in this study; * reside in the continental U.S.; * meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5-TR (DSM-5-TR) criteria for binge eating disorder (BED) or bulimia nervosa (BN), both of which include objective binge eating (i.e., consuming a larger amount of food than most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances with loss of control over eating during the episode) ≥1x/week over the past 3 months (APA, 2022). Single-item questions will determine eligibility via criteria 1-7. Criterion 8 for will be determined via the Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale for the DSM-5 (EDDS-5; Stice et al., 2000, 2004), which has exhibited good sensitivity (.88), specificity (.98), and positive predictive power (.74) for detecting EDs among community samples (Stice et al., 2000, 2004). Exclusion Criteria: * not between the ages of 18 and 64; * had changes to ED treatment in the past 4 weeks; * plan to access other eating disorder treatments throughout the study; * received or are planning to undergo bariatric surgery during the study period; * currently pregnant or lactating, or planning to become pregnant or lactate during the study period; * no Apple or Android-brand iOS smartphone; * do not live in the continental U.S.; * do not currently experience BN or BED.
Contact & Investigator
Kelly Romano, PhD
✉ kromano@umn.eduCarol Peterson, MD
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
University of Minnesota
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can join the NCT06631729 clinical trial?
This trial is open to participants of all sexes, aged 18 Years or older, up to 64 Years, studying Eating Disorders. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria are listed in the Eligibility Criteria section. Always confirm your eligibility with the research team before applying.
Is NCT06631729 currently recruiting?
Yes, NCT06631729 is actively recruiting participants. Contact the research team at kromano@umn.edu for enrollment information.
Where is the NCT06631729 trial being conducted?
This trial is being conducted at Minneapolis, United States.
Who is sponsoring the NCT06631729 clinical trial?
NCT06631729 is sponsored by University of Minnesota. The principal investigator is Carol Peterson, MD at University of Minnesota. The trial plans to enroll 144 participants.