Cognitive-behavioral Therapy vs. Nutrition Counseling for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder

Cognitive and Neural Mechanisms of Cognitive-behavioral Therapy for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder

This study is a randomized controlledlinical trial, assessing the efficacy of cognitive- behavioral therapy (CBT-AR) and nutrition counseling for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) for children and adolescents (ages 10-18 years).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Males and Females ages 10-18 years old
• Current ARFID
• Normal TSH or free T4 levels to rule out thyroid disease as cause of symptoms
• Negative celiac screening panel indicating no active celiac disease as cause of symptoms
• Fluency and literacy in English

Exclusion Criteria:

• BMI < 5th percentile for sex and age
• Pregnancy, breastfeeding, or recent initiation/cessation of oral contraceptive pills within 8 weeks of the pre-treatment study visit
• Current/history of psychosis
• Substance/alcohol use disorder (active within the past month)
• Medical instability requiring inpatient care according to the American Psychiatric Association 2023 treatment guidelines for eating disorders
• Laboratory abnormalities indicating a need for higher level of care
• Complete lack of oral intake (suggesting a need for inpatient care)
• Tube feeding (suggesting a need for tube weaning)
• Active suicidal/homicidal ideation with intent or plan
• Contraindications to MRI
• History of major gastrointestinal tract surgery or serious medical condition (e.g., cancer)
• Medical history of intellectual disability
• Illiteracy