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NCT Number: NCT06858774

Use of Circadian Reset Technology to Alter REM Sleep and Appetitive Control in Patients With Binge Eating Disorder

This project includes testing circadian reset technology (CRT) on frequency of binge eating in a sample of 40 individuals with binge eating disorder. Participants will be randomized to one of two groups. Both groups use a virtual reality (VR) headset for 10 minutes (5 upon waking, 5 before sleep) daily for 1 month. One group will use the CRT software on the headset and the other group will use a software intended to be a control. Measures will be taken at baseline and 1-month. The researchers anticipate that use of CRT will improve sleep quality leading to increased appetitive control.

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Key information

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Department of Psychiatry, Eating and Weight Disorders Program

New York, 10028, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Jessica Bibeau

CONTACT

[email protected]

Tom Hildebrandt

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

About this study

This is a clinical trial with total of 40 individuals with Binge Eating Disorder ages 18 or older will be enrolled to use a VR headset with CRT or without. Examine whether 1-month of CRT alters binge eating frequency. Secondary outcomes include examining whether 1-month of CRT alters sleep quality, appetite regulation, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measures of functional connectivity, food-based impulsivity/craving, and mood. Assessments are completed at baseline, weekly for 1 month, and then a final 1-month follow-up. Procedures include a screening/baseline phase to determine eligibility, gather baseline measures, and set-up on VR headset. Weeks 1 through 4 include using a VR headset twice a day for 5 minutes each. An online weekly survey will be completed, as well as daily ecological momentary assessment (EMA) surveys related to eating patterns throughout each day. The final visit will include a repeat of the baseline procedures including the fMRI. All recruitment and study procedures will take place through the Center of Excellence in Eating and Weight Disorders at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Ages 18+
  • Diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder using EDA-5
  • English-speaking

Exclusion criteria

  • Pregnancy
  • Acute suicide risk/active suicidal ideation
  • PSQI score <5 indicating good sleep quality
  • A condition that may create a risk while using the VR headset including risk of falls, seizures, a heart condition, migraines, an eye or vision condition, or an inner ear condition.

Treatment and study plan

Circadian Reset Technology

Behavioral

Circadian reset technology is a software used on a VR headset in this intervention. The software is a passive viewing experience like a guided meditation that presents visual images.

VR Headset

Behavioral

The software used on a VR headset in this intervention is a passive viewing experience like a guided meditation that presents neutral images that mimics the sequence used in the CRT software.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in the total number of bulimic episodes

    Time frame: Baseline to 1-month

    Binge eating frequency measured by Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q). The EDE-Q scores behavioral features of eating disorders by calculating the number of episodes and number of days on which the behavior occurs. The total number of bulimic episodes will be measured to determine binge-eating frequency. Scores will be calculated between baseline and 1 month.

    The EDE-Q is a 28-item self-report measure assessing eating disorder symptoms. Full scale from 0-6, with higher score indicates greater severity of eating disorder symptoms.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)

    Time frame: Baseline to 1-month

    Sleep quality measured by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is a 19-item assessment that measures sleep quality with questions about duration, latency, frequency/severity of sleep issues. Items are answered on a scale of 0-3. The final score is a total of all questions ranging from 0 to 21 with lower score indicating worse sleep quality and higher score indicating better sleep quality. Scores will be calculated between baseline and 1 month.

  2. Change in Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ)

    Time frame: Baseline to 1-month

    Appetite regulation (restrained eating, disinhibited eating, and predisposition to hunger) measured by Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) assesses appetite using 51 questions summarized in 3 subscales: cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating. Each item is scored as 0 or 1 and then summed. Subscales Cognitive restraint of eating score 0-21, Disinhibition score 0-16, and Hunger score 0-14. Full scale scored 0-51, higher scores indicate higher levels of restrained eating. Scores will be calculated between baseline and 1 month.

  3. Changes in default mode network

    Time frame: Baseline to 1-month

    Change in Brain functional connectivity as measured by default mode network - This test measures the pattern of connectivity in the default mode network during rest. Strength of connectivity default mode network (DMN) will estimated at the network level and between individual nodes.

  4. Change in Eating Loss of Control Scale (ELOCS)

    Time frame: Baseline to 1-month

    Food-based impulsivity measured by Eating Loss of Control Scale (ELOCS) measures the degree to which eating episodes included the feeling of loss of control measured continuously over the prior 4-weeks. There are 18 items scored on 0-10 scale from "not at all" to "Extremely/Completely". For total score, severity questions are averaged to get a mean severity score ranging between 0-10. Higher scores indicate more loss of control. Scores will be calculated between baseline and 1 month. Baseline to 1-month

  5. Change in Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait (FCQ-T)

    Time frame: Baseline to 1-month

    Food-based cravings (Trait) measure by Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait (FCQ-T) is 39 items on a scale of 1 (never/NA) to 6 (always) with a total summed score ranging from 39 to 234 with higher scores indicating more frequent and intense food cravings. Scores will be calculated between baseline and 1 month.

  6. Change in Food Cravings Questionnaire-State (FCQ-S)

    Time frame: Baseline to 1-month

    Food-based cravings (State) measured by Food Cravings Questionnaire-State (FCQ-S) has 15 items on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) with a total summed score ranging from 15 to 75 with higher scores indicating more intense food cravings. Scores will be calculated between baseline and 1 month.

  7. Change in Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS)

    Time frame: Baseline to 1-month

    Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) includes 42 questions that assess negative mood using subscales of depression, anxiety, and stress. Each subscale is scored 0-42, with total score from 0-126, higher score indicates poorer health outcomes.

    The depression scale scores are 0-9 (Normal), 10-13 (Mild), 14-20 (Moderate), 21-27 (Severe), and 28+ (Extremely Severe).

    The anxiety scale scores are 0-7 (Normal), 8-9 (Mild), 10-14 (Moderate), 15-19 (Severe), and 20+ (Extremely Severe).

    The stress scale scores are 0-14 (Normal), 15-18 (Mild), 19-25 (Moderate), 26-33 (Severe), and 34+ is (Extremely Severe).

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Jessica Bibeau

CONTACT

[email protected]

212-659-8673

Tom Hildebrandt

CONTACT

[email protected]

212-659-8673

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Use of Circadian Reset Technology to Alter REM Sleep and Appetitive Control Through Improved Network Connectivity in Brain in Patients With Binge Eating Disorder

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Mar 5, 2025
Registry last updated
Apr 20, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

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This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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