Exploring the neurobiological correlates of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in eating disorders: a review of potential methodologies and implications for the psychedelic study design
Journal of Eating Disorders December 27, 2024 Elena Koning, Cristiano Chaves, Elisa Brietzke et al. 2 citations
Eating disorders affect 1-3% of the population, and standard treatments fail for about one third of cases. Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy shows emerging evidence for improving outcomes, but limited knowledge of its neurobiological mechanisms restricts confirmation of clinical utility. This narrative review surveys methodologies—including magnetic resonance imaging, molecular neuroimaging, electrophysiology, and neuroplasticity markers—that could probe the neurobiological correlates of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in eating disorders. It describes implications of these methods for psychedelic study design, challenges, limitations, and future directions, serving as a resource for scientists designing studies to identify effective therapeutic interventions.