Psilocybin as a Novel Pharmacotherapy for Treatment-Refractory Anorexia Nervosa
OBM Neurobiology June 24, 2021 Sarah-Catherine Rodan, Phillip Aouad, Iain S. Mcgregor et al. 10 citations
Anorexia nervosa (AN) has high mortality and treatment costs, and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) achieves remission in at most 50% of adults. Drop-out and relapse rates are high, and no approved pharmacological treatments exist. Over the past two decades, research into classic psychedelics (LSD, 5-MeO-DMT, DMT, and psilocybin) shows that one or two exposures can produce lasting reductions in anxiety and depression, which are the most common co-morbid psychiatric symptoms in AN. The authors suggest that classic psychedelics, especially psilocybin, may normalize dysfunctional neurobiological systems in AN and offer a novel intervention, particularly for treatment-resistant patients.