Clinical trial NCT03524443: Evaluation of Art-therapy on Alexithymia in Patients Suffering From Anorexia Nervosa and From Bulimia
Official title: Evaluation of Art-therapy on Alexithymia in Patients Suffering From Anorexia Nervosa and From Bulimia,a Pilot Study
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Conditions: Anorexia Nervosa/Bulimia
Keywords: Affective symptom
Art Therapy
alexithymia
emotional disturbance
hyperphagia
psychotherapy
rehabilitation
factor of resistance
Lead sponsor: University Hospital, Toulouse
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2018-05-14
Enrollment: 30
Sex: FEMALE
Minimum age (years): 16
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Observational model: COHORT
Time perspective: PROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Female patients with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa in many studies and with alexithymia wich is a characteristic found in this patient.

Brief summary: Alexithymia is often found in patients suffering from anorexia nervosa or from bulimia. Art-therapy is widely used in this indication without there is a study in the literature assessing it. ALEXART is an observational prospective multicenter cohort pilot study, assessing the effect at 3 months of art therapy on alexithymia, in patients presenting anorexia nervosa or bulimia.

Detailed description: Alexithymia, defined by difficulties to identify and describe feelings as well as a poverty of imaginary life, is found in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) or bulimia (BN) in numerous studies. Some publications show that it is a factor of resistance in several forms of psychotherapies and of poor prognosis for these patients who already present a high rate of chronification and mortality because of the complications of the undernutrition and the suicide risk. Art therapy is very wide-spread in the care of AN and of BN, but little studied. About alexithymia, if there is no psychotherapy having made the proof of its efficiency currently, some studies suggest the interest of art-therapy on alexithymic features, but none, to our knowledge, estimated the effect.

The investigator suggest to describe the evolution at 3 months of art therapy on alexithymia, using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale in 20 items (TAS-20), in patients with AN or BN. The investigators shall also describe the evolution at 3 months with the TAS-20 as well as the relationship between variations of alexithymia and BMI in patients presenting AN at 1 and 3 months globally and in each of the centers. The investigators will also evaluate the effect of depression and anxiety at 1 and 3 months of art therapy on alexithymia.The investigators shall realize an observational prospective multicenter cohort study design. Each patient will receive standard care: multidisciplinary and corresponding to the HAS recommendations and semimonthly or weeklies sessions of art therapy, using all types of art. Thus, each patient will be her own control before art therapy.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* to be a woman, aged 16 or more, having DSM-5 diagnosis of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, inpatient in "Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Art Therapy" ward at CHU de Toulouse or at " clinique Castelviel " in Toulouse.

Exclusion Criteria:

* acute psychotic symptoms
* pregnant women
* breast-feeding women
* people under justice protection.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Alexithymia rate using de Toronto Alexithymia Scale
timeFrame: 3 months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Body Mass Index (BMI) evolution for anorexic patient
timeFrame: 3 months
measure: Effect of depression on alexithymia using the Beck Depression Inventory-II
timeFrame: 3 month
measure: Effect of anxiety on alexithymia using the State Trait Anxiety Inventory-YA
timeFrame: 3 months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Toulouse
country: France
facility: University Hospital Toulouse
Study officials:
affiliation: University Hospital, Toulouse
name: Clara Letamendia, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: