An Open Trial of a Novel Pharmacotherapy for Habit Modification in Anorexia Nervosa

Starting soon · Phase 2

Conditions studied: Anorexia Nervosa

In brief

The purpose of this study is to test the feasibility and tolerability of donepezil in a small group of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). Study participants will be receiving care at the New York State Psychiatric Institute Eating Disorders Unit. Study medication will be increased from 1 mg per day to a maximum of 5 mg per day for up to 8 weeks. Participants will be closely monitored for side effects by a research psychiatrist every week, in addition to the regular clinical monitoring they receive during inpatient treatment. The study will also include assessments of habit strength to measure any changes in maladaptive eating habits over the course of the treatment.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT06518941

Run by

New York State Psychiatric Institute

People needed

10

Starts

2027-01-01

Expected to finish

2028-12-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-08-03

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 60. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Provision of signed and dated informed consent form.
• Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study (Clinical interview).
• Aged 18-60 years (Clinical interview).
• Diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (EDA-5).
• BMI ≥ 15 kg/m2 (Clinical team medical record)

You may not qualify if…

• Score of High Risk on the Columbia Suicide Severity Scale (C-SSRS).
• Pregnancy (Serum pregnancy test on admission).
• Current diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, bipolar (type I), or substance use disorder (SCID).
• Bradycardia (below 60 bpm) (vital signs measurement by the clinical team)
• Corrected QT interval (QTc) greater than 480 ms at baseline (EKG).
• Antipsychotic medication (antidepressants at a stable dose are allowed) (clinical interview).
• Known allergic reactions to components of the donepezil (e.g., known hypersensitivity to donepezil hydrochloride) (clinical interview).
• History of peptic ulcer disease (clinical interview).
• History of arrhythmia (clinical interview).

Where it is running

• New York State Psychiatric Institute — New York, New York, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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