Help better understand eating disorders and brain structure and function

Email
estra@kcl.ac.uk

Hours
Monday–Friday
10am–6pm

What are the study aims?

The ESTRA study aims to better understand psychological, biological, and social mechanisms underlying eating disorders and the progression of illness over time.

What does this study involve?

The ESTRA study involves participants with a current Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, people who have recovered from these conditions, and healthy controls. The ESTRA-BED study — the “sibling” of ESTRA — involves participants with a current Binge Eating Disorder. The participants with a current Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa took part in a follow-up study around 2 years after the initial assessment.

Each participant completed the following tasks:

1) online questionnaires & an online interview from home

2) computer tasks, providing blood & urine samples, and an MRI Scan at King’s College London Denmark Hill campus or at the Invicro imaging centre, Hammersmith, London

How will the data be analysed?

We will compare the psychological and neurobiological data between people with and without an eating disorder in order to identify the most distinguishing characteristics of these conditions.

By using the follow-up data, we will correlate data collected at the initial assessment with symptom changes over time, in order to identify factors accounting for the change and persistence of the condition.

How will the results be shared?

We will publish our research findings in peer-reviewed journals and international conferences, and will also share them in our blog posts, newsletters, and publications webpages on this site. Check them out through the links!