Eating Disorders Research at Children's Hospital Colorado

In addition to providing clinical care for kids and adolescents, our mission includes advancing our understanding of eating disorders and improving treatment. That's why we're currently doing a study to indentify factors present at the time of admission to our program that contribute to response to treatment.

We're also doing studies on medications for the treatment of eating disorders, and we're participating in a research study in collaboration with the Clinical Trials Research Center and the Center for Nutrition. The goal of this research is to understand the impact of dietary depletion and increased activity in onset of anorexia nervosa; it also looks at alternative approaches to refeeding and weight restoration. 

A closer look at the brain's response to food

The Eating Disorders Program is also associated with the Developmental Brain Research Program (DBRP) at Children's Hospital Colorado. The DBRP explores biological and psychological factors that may contribute to eating disorders, and develops methods for treatment and assessment.

Research currently underway includes state-of-the-art brain imaging methods, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). These techniques allow us to study how the brain works when presented with a taste test. Together with the DBRP, we're also exploring factors related to distorted body image.

Read more about research at Children's Hospital Colorado.