NCT03172533

Estrogen Replacement in Anorexia Nervosa

Prospective, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial on the Effects of an Estrogen-progestin Combination as add-on to Inpatient Psychotherapy in Adult Female Patients Suffering From Anorexia Nervosa

• Status: Terminated
• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 11 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Erlangen-Nürnberg Medical School · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years – 45 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The present study is a placebo-controlled randomised study on the effects of estrogen replacement upon AN-associated psychopathology, several neurocognitive domains and appetite-regulating circuits in female patients with AN. The investigators aim at assessing peripheral concentrations of neuroendocrinological components of the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Gonadal (HPG) and Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, as well as appetite-regulating hormones in AN and to examine associations with AN-associated psychopathology and neurocognitive performances before (baseline), during and after inpatient psychotherapy of female patients receiving concomitant treatment with estrogens (vs. placebo).

Detailed description

While there is broad knowledge on the disruption of appetite regulation, neurocognitive deficits in AN patients, the impact of cortisol on neurocognitive performances in patients with AN and the effects of estrogen on neurocognitive features in healthy subjects, up to now, no study has implemented estrogen replacement in AN patients, in order to examine ist effects upon AN-associated psychopathology, neurocognition and peptides regulating appetite. Thus, this is the first study of its kind. Primary target: Assessment of the impact of sexual hormone replacement using an estrogen-progestin-combination as add-on to psychotherapy upon neurocognitive performance in patients suffering from anorexia nervosa by means of a neuropsychological test battery consisting of a test of verbal intelligence, the Trail making test A and B, a Go/No-go paradigm and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Secondary targets: * Examination of safety and tolerability of sexual hormone replacement using an estrogen-progestin-combination in patients with anorexia nervosa. * Assessment of the impact of the sexual hormone replacement upon psychopathology in patients with anorexia nervosa by means of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2). * Assessment of the impact of substitution upon anxiety (STAI) * Assessment of the impact on cortisol levels * Assessment of the impact on appetite-regulating plasma peptides * Assessment of the impact on the prescription of antidepressants

Conditions

• Anorexia Nervosa

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	ethinyl estradiol 0.03mg and dienogest 2 mg (combination)	approved oral contraceptive (Germany): Maxim
DRUG	Placebo oral capsule	placebo

Timeline

• Start date: 2016-03-15
• Primary completion: 2019-01-15
• Completion: 2019-01-15
• First posted: 2017-06-01
• Last updated: 2019-01-30

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Germany