Neurofeedback for Anorexia — RelaxNeuron — Aimed in Dissolving the Root Neuronal Cause

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a complex disorder involving psychological, neurobiological, and metabolic dysregulation, characterized by an intense fear of weight gain and severe food restriction. Despite the availability of outpatient psychotherapies, current treatment approaches face significant barriers, including high costs, limited accessibility, and high relapse rates. Additionally, traditional interventions often rely on verbal engagement and cognitive restructuring, which may be ineffective for individuals with high cognitive rigidity and impaired interoception—key features of AN. These challenges underscore the urgent need for an accessible, self-administered intervention that can complement existing therapies. To address this need, we developed RelaxNeuron, a novel neurofeedback (NF) software designed to modulate the fear response to food stimuli and facilitate adaptive neural regulation in AN patient. Unlike conventional NF, which targets general cognitive states, RelaxNeuron dynamically responds to users' emotional and physiological reactions to food stimuli using electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. The system provides real-time feedback based on both emotional state inference and eye-tracking performance, helping users gradually reduce food-related anxiety and attentional biases. By reinforcing more adaptive neural patterns through repeated training, RelaxNeuron aims to alleviate conditioned fear responses, promoting more flexible and less distressing engagement with food. Beyond its therapeutic application, RelaxNeuron also serves as a research instrument for studying neurophysiological aspects of AN, particularly eye movement abnormalities, interoceptive deficits, and emotional state modulation. Given the multifactorial nature of AN, future studies should explore integrating RelaxNeuron with metabolic and genetic-based interventions to optimize long-term recovery outcomes. Preliminary results suggest that NF-based interventions may offer a promising, cost-effective, and scalable alternative for individuals struggling with AN, particularly those unable to access conventional treatment. Further research is needed to validate its clinical efficacy and explore its integration within a comprehensive, multidisciplinary treatment framework.