Clinical trial NCT06298526: Auditory Sensory Attenuation in Anorexia Nervosa
Official title: The Sensory Attenuation Paradigm in Auditory Modality in Anorexia Nervosa
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Conditions: Anorexia Nervosa
Keywords: anorexia nervosa
sensory attenuation
anhedonia
cognitive empathy
interpersonal difficulties
Lead sponsor: Istituto Auxologico Italiano
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2024-03-07
Enrollment: 36
Sex: FEMALE
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: women affected by anorexia nervosa will be recruited at the IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, San Giuseppe Hospital, Piancavallo, VB, Italia (eating and nutritional disorders ward).

women with healthy weight will be recruited in the local community and among the researchers contacts

Brief summary: The goal of this observational cross-sectional study is to test the sensory attenuation effect with auditory stimuli comparing women affected by anorexia nervosa and healthy-weight women. Specifically, the study aims to test whether the sensory attenuation effect (i.e., the perceived loudness of a self-generated sound is weaker than when another person produces the same sound):

i) is observed in anorexia nervosa ii) it can be modulated in interactive action contexts, as was previously observed in healthy participants.

Participants will compare the loudness of target sound with a comparison tone, which can be prompt by the participant by pressing a button on their own will (i.e., individual context) or upon the experimenter\&#39;s signal (i.e., interactive context); externally-generated sounds are produced in the opposite way.

Detailed description: The perceived loudness of a self-generated sound is generally weaker than when another person produces the same sound. This effect is known as sensory attenuation, and it is considered a proof of sense of agency (i.e., it relies on the anticipation of the sensory-motor effects of one\&#39;s intentional action). Recently, it was suggested that this effect is enhanced in interactive action contexts in healthy individuals, meaning that sounds are produced as a consequence of cooperation between individuals.

Participants will compare the loudness of target sound with a comparison tone, which could be generated in 4 different conditions:

i) participants press a button ii) the experimenter press the button iii) participants press the button upon the experimenter\&#39;s signal (i.e., who touch the participants\&#39; arm) iv) the experimenter presses the button upon the participants\&#39; signal (i.e., who touch the experimenter\&#39;s arm).

However, it is not clear whether the same effect of cooperation can be observed also when individuals experience difficulties in social interactions and relationships.

To this purpose, the study compared the sensory attenuation effect for auditory stimuli in a traditional (i.e., individual) and interactive context, comparing women affected by anorexia nervosa with healthy-weight women.

Indeed, relational difficulties and social withdrawal characterized this clinical condition.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* diagnosis of anorexia nervosa according to the DSM-V classification (experimental group)
* BMI ranged between 19 - 25 kg/m2 (controls)
* handedness: right

Exclusion Criteria:

* history of eating disorders (controls)
* major psychiatric conditions (e.g., psychosis, personality disorders)
* developmental disorders (e.g., autism spectrum disorders)
* neurological or brain injuries disorders
* motor impairments

Primary outcomes:
measure: point of subjective equality (PSE)
timeFrame: day 1
Secondary outcomes:
measure: cognitive empathy
timeFrame: day 1
measure: interpersonal pleasure
timeFrame: day 1
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Piancavallo
country: Italy
facility: IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, San Giuseppe Hospital
state: VCO
Study officials:
References:
citation: Colle L, Hilviu D, Boggio M, Toso A, Longo P, Abbate-Daga G, Garbarini F, Fossataro C. Abnormal sense of agency in eating disorders. Sci Rep. 2023 Aug 30;13(1):14176. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-41345-5.
citation: Weiss C, Herwig A, Schutz-Bosbach S. The self in social interactions: sensory attenuation of auditory action effects is stronger in interactions with others. PLoS One. 2011;6(7):e22723. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022723. Epub 2011 Jul 27.