3-Dimensional Optical Scanning to Assess and Monitor Malnutrition in Eating Disorders (3D-ED) Study
University of California, San Francisco
Summary
People with anorexia nervosa often become medically unstable because of severe malnutrition and require hospitalization for nutritional rehabilitation. Clinicians currently rely heavily on body weight to assess malnutrition, but body weight does not always reflect the severity of illness. This study will use infrared scanning to assess body composition in adolescents and young adults hospitalized with anorexia nervosa. Researchers will then examine how organ and tissue stores relate to the degree of malnutrition, predict nutritional needs and medical restoration in hospital, and recovery outcomes over the following year. The goal is to develop more individualized approaches to nutritional rehabilitation and improve recovery for individuals with malnutrition due to eating disorders.
Description
Background: The proposed project is aligned with NIH's Strategic Plan for Nutrition Research (SPNR) Objectives 4-2 and 4-3, to reduce the burden of malnutrition in clinical settings. Up to 40% of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) become medically unstable due to malnutrition and require hospitalization for refeeding; 25% progress to severe and enduring illness. Long, intensive hospitalizations with frequent readmissions drive high healthcare costs in AN. Historically, clinicians have relied on body weight to assess malnutrition and response to intervention. However, body weight lost diagnost…