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Using Bilateral Stimulation (A Pre-existing Trauma Technique) After Eating to Reduce Anxiety in People Recovering From Eating Disorders

NCT07600970 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 8

Last updated 2026-05-22

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial was to evaluate whether bilateral stimulation (BLS) could reduce anxiety and emotional distress after eating in people recovering from eating disorders in outpatient treatment with the primary researcher.

The main question it aimed to answer were:

Did bilateral stimulation reduce anxiety, depression, and/or eating disorder thoughts when used after eating a fear food?

Researchers compared participants who received standard treatment alone to those who received standard treatment plus bilateral stimulation after meals to determine whether BLS reduced emotional distress and negative thoughts related to eating.

Participants:

* Completed surveys assessing anxiety, depression, and eating disorder symptoms at the beginning and end of 4 consecutive sessions (4-12 weeks in total depending on the frequency of client appointments).
* Chose to participate in either a standard treatment group or an intervention group

Participants in the intervention group also:

* Ate 1 meal per week before or during session, including a "fear food" (defined as food avoided out of fear of what might happen, i.e., weight gain, vomiting, guilt/shame).
* Completed brief questionnaires about their thoughts and feelings after eating
* Participated in 3-5 minutes of bilateral stimulation (side-to-side tapping) guided by the researcher
* Reported on changes in their thoughts and emotions following the intervention

The intervention was delivered over 4 consecutive sessions alongside standard treatment.

Conditions

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Bilateral Stimulation

Participants in the intervention group (ST+BLS) completed 4 consecutive sessions. In each session, participants ate a meal or snack, including a self-identified "fear food." After eating, they completed a brief questionnaire assessing thoughts, emotions, and eating disorder urges, and identified preferred thoughts and feelings. The researcher guided the BLS protocol and provided structured prompts, while participants actively performed the bilateral stimulation by engaging in alternating side-to-side tapping (e.g., shoulders, thighs, or feet), selecting the method most comfortable to them. Participants completed three 20-second rounds of tapping while focusing sequentially on: (1) their experience of the meal, (2) desired thoughts, and (3) desired emotional states. Brief discussions occurred between rounds. After BLS, participants completed a follow-up questionnaire assessing changes in thoughts and feelings. The researcher also completed a clinician-rated form.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • San Francisco State University

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2023-05-30
Primary Completion
2023-10-16
Completion
2023-12-08

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07600970 on ClinicalTrials.gov