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.
7 affiliations
- 1Service de Pédopsychiatrie, CHU Reims, Reims, France. [email protected].
- 2Service de Pédopsychiatrie, CHU Reims, Reims, France.
- 3Comité Universitaire de Ressource Pour La Recherche en Santé, Université Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France.
- 4Service de Pédopsychiatrie, CHU Reims, Université Reims Champagne-Ardenne, C2S, Reims, France.
- 5Service de Pédopsychiatrie, Université Toulouse 3, CERPOP, Inserm, UPS, CHU Toulouse, Toulouse, France.
- 6UMR 1319, INSPIIRE, Inserm, Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie de L'Enfant Et de L'Adolescent, Centre Psychothérapique de Nancy, Université de Lorraine, Laxou, Nancy, France.
- 7Centre Régional du Psychotraumatisme Grand Est, CNRS UPR 3212, Institut Des Neurosciences Cellulaires Et Intégratives, Service de Pédopsychiatrie, Université Strasbourg, CHU Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
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 .
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BibTeX
@article{kierbel2026effectiveness,
title = {{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.}},
author = {Yohann Kierbel and Antoine Manès and Coralie Barbe and Anne-Catherine Rolland and Antoine Stocker and Marilou Lamourette and Julie Rolling and Julien Eutrope},
journal = {Trials},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s13063-026-09929-4},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42972396},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - 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.
AU - Yohann Kierbel
AU - Antoine Manès
AU - Coralie Barbe
AU - Anne-Catherine Rolland
AU - Antoine Stocker
AU - Marilou Lamourette
AU - Julie Rolling
AU - Julien Eutrope
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/06
JO - Trials
DO - 10.1186/s13063-026-09929-4
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42972396
AB - 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 .
SN - 1745-6215
ER -