Innovative and Emerging Treatments for Anorexia Nervosa
FOCUS The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry – July 01, 2024
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Traditional psychological intervention and medicine often fall short for anorexia nervosa, a severe eating disorder. Psychiatry is exploring novel strategies, including brain stimulation techniques like vagus nerve stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation. Initial investigations also show promise for psilocybin and cannabidiol as potential treatments. These early findings, spanning clinical psychology and behavioral medicine, underscore an urgent need for robust clinical trials to improve patient outcomes.
Abstract
Unlike psychopharmacologic interventions for other psychiatric conditions, few medications have emerged as helpful in improving eating disorder cognitions and evidence-based psychotherapies fail many patients. Novel treatments are urgently needed to address anorexia nervosa (AN), which is increasingly prevalent and difficult to treat. This article provides an overview of preliminary investigations into cannabidiol, psilocybin therapy, ketamine and the ketogenic diet, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and vagus nerve stimulation in individuals with AN. These pilot studies underscore the need for larger clinical trials that include more participant diversity in order to rapidly translate findings to real-world clinical practice.