---
_id: '13558'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: Introduction Weight restoration is a primary goal in anorexia nervosa (AN)
    treatment. Recent studies suggest that addressing physical activity urges in patients
    with AN is a promising target to facilitate weight restoration. This trial will
    evaluate the feasibility of a virtual reality (VR)-based intervention as an add-on
    treatment to psychotherapy to improve activity urges and, consequently, initial
    treatment responses on core outcomes as targeted per AN treatment guidelines.Methods
    and analysis This single-centre feasibility trial adopts the single-blind, two-arm
    design and outcome measures of an intended full-scale randomised controlled trial
    (RCT) in order to establish that all necessary trial components work together
    as intended. It will evaluate feasibility as the primary endpoint and compare
    changes in ratings of the urge to be active between patients with AN randomly
    assigned to receiving VR intervention sessions and patients with AN in a control
    procedure. The feasibility of the full-scale RCT will depend on whether patients
    (1) will evaluate the experience as acceptable, (2) tolerate VR side effects and
    (3) will adhere to the intended intervention schedule. We define a set of three-tiered,
    formal progression criteria and employ a 'traffic light system' demarcating go
    (green), amend (amber) and stop (red) signals for advancing to the full-scale
    RCT.Ethics and dissemination The study was approved by the ethics committee of
    the Ruhr University Bochum's Medical Faculty at Campus East-Westphalia (AZ 2024-1296,
    9 December 2024). Patients have to provide written consent before taking part
    in the study. The findings will be published with open access.Trial registration
    number DRKS00035681, German Clinical Trials Register.
author:
- first_name: Georg
  full_name: Halbeisen, Georg
  id: '85780'
  last_name: Halbeisen
  orcid: 0000-0002-9529-2215
- first_name: N
  full_name: Timmesfeld, N
  last_name: Timmesfeld
- first_name: G
  full_name: Paslakis, G
  last_name: Paslakis
citation:
  ama: 'Halbeisen G, Timmesfeld N, Paslakis G. Reducing the urge to be physically
    active in patients with anorexia nervosa through virtual reality: protocol for
    a randomised-controlled feasibility trial. <i>BMJ Open</i>. 2025;15(1). doi:<a
    href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097886 ">10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097886
    </a>'
  apa: 'Halbeisen, G., Timmesfeld, N., &#38; Paslakis, G. (2025). Reducing the urge
    to be physically active in patients with anorexia nervosa through virtual reality:
    protocol for a randomised-controlled feasibility trial. <i>BMJ Open</i>, <i>15</i>(1).
    <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097886 ">https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097886
    </a>'
  bjps: '<b>Halbeisen G, Timmesfeld N and Paslakis G</b> (2025) Reducing the Urge
    to Be Physically Active in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa through Virtual Reality:
    Protocol for a Randomised-Controlled Feasibility Trial. <i>BMJ Open</i> <b>15</b>.'
  chicago: 'Halbeisen, Georg, N Timmesfeld, and G Paslakis. “Reducing the Urge to
    Be Physically Active in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa through Virtual Reality:
    Protocol for a Randomised-Controlled Feasibility Trial.” <i>BMJ Open</i> 15, no.
    1 (2025). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097886 ">https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097886
    </a>.'
  chicago-de: 'Halbeisen, Georg, N Timmesfeld und G Paslakis. 2025. Reducing the urge
    to be physically active in patients with anorexia nervosa through virtual reality:
    protocol for a randomised-controlled feasibility trial. <i>BMJ Open</i> 15, Nr.
    1. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097886 ">10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097886
    </a>, .'
  din1505-2-1: '<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Halbeisen, Georg</span> ; <span
    style="font-variant:small-caps;">Timmesfeld, N</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Paslakis,
    G</span>: Reducing the urge to be physically active in patients with anorexia
    nervosa through virtual reality: protocol for a randomised-controlled feasibility
    trial. In: <i>BMJ Open</i> Bd. 15, British Medical Journal Publishing Group (2025),
    Nr. 1'
  havard: 'G. Halbeisen, N. Timmesfeld, G. Paslakis, Reducing the urge to be physically
    active in patients with anorexia nervosa through virtual reality: protocol for
    a randomised-controlled feasibility trial, BMJ Open. 15 (2025).'
  ieee: 'G. Halbeisen, N. Timmesfeld, and G. Paslakis, “Reducing the urge to be physically
    active in patients with anorexia nervosa through virtual reality: protocol for
    a randomised-controlled feasibility trial,” <i>BMJ Open</i>, vol. 15, no. 1, 2025,
    doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097886 ">10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097886
    </a>.'
  mla: 'Halbeisen, Georg, et al. “Reducing the Urge to Be Physically Active in Patients
    with Anorexia Nervosa through Virtual Reality: Protocol for a Randomised-Controlled
    Feasibility Trial.” <i>BMJ Open</i>, vol. 15, no. 1, 2025, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097886
    ">https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097886 </a>.'
  short: G. Halbeisen, N. Timmesfeld, G. Paslakis, BMJ Open 15 (2025).
  ufg: '<b>Halbeisen, Georg/Timmesfeld, N./Paslakis, G.</b>: Reducing the urge to
    be physically active in patients with anorexia nervosa through virtual reality:
    protocol for a randomised-controlled feasibility trial, in: <i>BMJ Open</i> 15
    (2025), H. 1.'
  van: 'Halbeisen G, Timmesfeld N, Paslakis G. Reducing the urge to be physically
    active in patients with anorexia nervosa through virtual reality: protocol for
    a randomised-controlled feasibility trial. BMJ Open. 2025;15(1).'
date_created: 2026-03-25T13:35:51Z
date_updated: 2026-04-10T10:28:29Z
department:
- _id: DEP1500
doi: '10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097886 '
extern: '1'
external_id:
  isi:
  - '001409994700001'
  pmid:
  - '39890141'
intvolume: '        15'
isi: '1'
issue: '1'
language:
- iso: eng
pmid: '1'
publication: BMJ Open
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 2044-6055
publication_status: published
publisher: British Medical Journal Publishing Group
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: 'Reducing the urge to be physically active in patients with anorexia nervosa
  through virtual reality: protocol for a randomised-controlled feasibility trial'
type: scientific_journal_article
user_id: '83778'
volume: 15
year: '2025'
...