Facial Emotion Recognition in Anorexia Nervosa

NCT ID: NCT06299293

Last Updated: 2025-08-27

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Total Enrollment: 40 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-02-01
• Study Completion Date: 2024-02-01

Brief Summary

Altered emotional processing is reported in Anorexia Nervosa. However, this capability is generally measured through explicit measures, like self-report questionnaires and facial emotion recognition tasks. Instead, no previous research has investigated implicit emotional processing in this clinical condition. In the implicit facial emotion recognition task grounded on the implicit "redundant target effect", individuals generally respond faster when two identical targets are presented simultaneously rather than when presented alone; moreover, the competitive presence of a distractor (that is another emotion or a neutral expression) affects the correct recognition of the target. The ability to recognize and detect facial expressions is explored about two main emotions, fear and anger, because of their role in the intra- and interindividual psychological processing.

Conditions

Anorexia Nervosa

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: CASE_CONTROL
• Study Time Perspective: CROSS_SECTIONAL

Study Groups

Cases

Participants with Anorexia Nervosa

Facial Emotion Recognition Test

Intervention Type: OTHER

In this test, the ability to detect and recognize facial expressions of fear or anger will be investigated.

Controls

Participants with a healthy weight

Facial Emotion Recognition Test

Intervention Type: OTHER

In this test, the ability to detect and recognize facial expressions of fear or anger will be investigated.

Interventions

Facial Emotion Recognition Test

In this test, the ability to detect and recognize facial expressions of fear or anger will be investigated.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• right-handed
• diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa according to the APA criteria

Exclusion Criteria

• concurrent neurological, neurodevelopmental (e.g., autism), motor, somatosensory and/or psychiatric disorders.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 20 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 50 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Istituto Auxologico Italiano

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano - Ospedale San Giuseppe

Piancavallo, VCO, Italy

Countries

Italy

Other Identifiers

21C306

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id