Effectiveness of virtual reality exposure therapy in improving body dissatisfaction and shape-related concerns in adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa: a controlled, randomized, superiority trial

Abstract

Abstract Background Anorexia nervosa (AN) involves qualitative and quantitative dietary restrictions, leading to significant weight loss and changes in body shape. Patients with AN are often more concerned about their body image than the general population is. Body dissatisfaction and shape-related concerns (BD-SRC), which are risk factors for relapse, are some of the most difficult AN symptoms to treat. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) in improving BD-SRC in adolescent girls with AN. Method This prospective, multicenter study will be a controlled, randomized, superiority trial. This study will be an open-ended trial. In total, 40 patients with AN will be randomly assigned to the “VRET” or the “body-first psychomotricity” group. Adolescent girls will be randomly divided into two groups: 20 each receiving VRET and 20 receiving treatment with body-first psychomotricity treatment. The primary objective will be rated 12 months after randomization using the Body Shape Questionnaire. Discussion The study hypothesizes that VRET is more effective than a body-first psychomotricity approach in improving BD-SRC and that this improvement is stable in the long term, even after treatment has stopped. If this hypothesis is confirmed, VRET could offer an interesting new therapeutic alternative to the traditional European approach of body-first psychomotricity for adolescent girls with AN. Trial registration Trial registration: ClinicalTrials, NCT04107870, Registered on September 26, 2019. https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT04107870 .