Ketone Supplementation in Eating Disorders

Anorexia Nervosa Clinical Trial

Official title:

Starving for Energy - A Pilot Study to Test Ketone Derived Energy in Eating Disorders

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05507008
• Other study ID #: 804669
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: October 13, 2022
• Est. completion date: November 30, 2026

Study information

• Verified date: November 2023
• Source: University of California, San Diego
• Contact: Megan Shott, BS
• Phone: 858-246-5272
• Email: mshott[@]health.ucsd.edu
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This study will investigate the effects of ketone supplementation on eating behavior including drive to binge eat or restrict, mood and anxiety in individuals with anorexia or bulimia nervosa. In addition, the investigators will contrast the effects of active ketone supplementation versus placebo on electroencephalogram (EEG) measurement. All subjects enrolled in the study will undergo EEG on two consecutive days at the beginning of the study, after active ketone supplementation or placebo drink, matched in taste to the ketone drink. Days will be randomized. Thereafter, all subjects will take the ketone supplementation drink for two weeks, twice daily.

Description:

The goals of the study are:

1) to test the effect of BHB as a nutritional supplement for AN and BN and 2) to test the ingestion of BHB on brain function.

Subjects will complete a battery of self-assessments and a diagnostic assessment in order to determine eligibility and for characterization of behavior to be used in later analyses. After eligibility is confirmed, subjects will complete 2 EEG scans on separate days after ingestion of Ketone supplement drink or placebo and will complete a taste reward task during the EEG scan. Subjects will then complete 2 weeks of daily ketone supplementation and self-assessments.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 40
• Est. completion date: November 30, 2026
• Est. primary completion date: November 30, 2025
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 65 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Must currently meet DSM-5 criteria for Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, or OSFED Anorexia or Bulimia Nervosa based on the MINI diagnostic interview

2. Be medically stable as assessed by a comprehensive medical and behavioral evaluation conducted by a study physician

3. English as primary spoken language.

4. Ability to respond to EMA questions up to 6x per day within 60 minutes of receiving the message.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Psychotic illness/other organic brain syndromes, dementia, somatization disorders or conversion disorders

2. Current substance abuse or dependence in the past 3 months

3. Physical conditions (e.g., diabetes mellitus, pregnancy) known to influence eating or weight

4. Medical conditions associated with ketoacidosis: type 1 diabetes mellitus, acute pancreatitis, alcoholic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, hepatitis or Boerhaave syndrome (esophageal rupture)

5. History of significant head trauma

6. Indication of intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder

7. Known allergy to any of the KenetikR drink components: D-beta-hydroxybutyric acid (D-BHB), Stevia, Monkfruit, Potassium Bicarbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate Potassium Sorbate or Taste Task Solutions: Sucrose, Potassium Chloride, Sodium bicarbonate.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Anorexia
• Anorexia Nervosa
• Atypical Anorexia Nervosa
• Bulimia
• Bulimia Nervosa
• Feeding and Eating Disorders

Intervention

Dietary Supplement:
• Kenetik Ketone Drink
BHB supplementation

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	University of California San Diego	San Diego	California

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of California, San Diego

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (5)

Brietzke E, Mansur RB, Subramaniapillai M, Balanza-Martinez V, Vinberg M, Gonzalez-Pinto A, Rosenblat JD, Ho R, McIntyre RS. Ketogenic diet as a metabolic therapy for mood disorders: Evidence and developments. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2018 Nov;94:11-16. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.07.020. Epub 2018 Jul 31. — View Citation

Cheng B, Yang X, An L, Gao B, Liu X, Liu S. Ketogenic diet protects dopaminergic neurons against 6-OHDA neurotoxicity via up-regulating glutathione in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. Brain Res. 2009 Aug 25;1286:25-31. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.06.060. Epub 2009 Jun 25. — View Citation

Frank GKW, Shott ME, Stoddard J, Swindle S, Pryor TL. Association of Brain Reward Response With Body Mass Index and Ventral Striatal-Hypothalamic Circuitry Among Young Women With Eating Disorders. JAMA Psychiatry. 2021 Oct 1;78(10):1123-1133. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.1580. — View Citation

Kokkinou M, Ashok AH, Howes OD. The effects of ketamine on dopaminergic function: meta-analysis and review of the implications for neuropsychiatric disorders. Mol Psychiatry. 2018 Jan;23(1):59-69. doi: 10.1038/mp.2017.190. Epub 2017 Oct 3. — View Citation

Mills IH, Park GR, Manara AR, Merriman RJ. Treatment of compulsive behaviour in eating disorders with intermittent ketamine infusions. QJM. 1998 Jul;91(7):493-503. doi: 10.1093/qjmed/91.7.493. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Eating Disorders Inventory 3 Drive for Thinness Subscale	The Eating Disorders Inventory 3 is a self report assessment that measures core eating disorder symptoms. Subjects will complete this measure at the beginning and end of the study and the investigator will measure the change in scores. The Drive for Thinness Subscale has a range of 0 to 28 where higher scores mean worse outcome.	Change from baseline to study completion, up to 2 weeks
Primary	Eating Disorders Inventory 3 (EDI-3) Body Dissatisfaction Subscale	The Eating Disorders Inventory 3 is a self report assessment that measures core eating disorder symptoms. Subjects will complete this measure at the beginning and end of the study and the investigator will measure the change in scores. The Drive for Thinness Subscale has a range of 0 to 40 where higher scores mean worse outcome.	Change from baseline to study completion, up to 2 weeks
Primary	Weight Change	Body Mass Index over time as a measure of food intake from the start to end of the study	Change in body mass index from baseline to study completion, up to 2 weeks]