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Krembil researchers pioneer a safe and effective treatment option for anorexia nervosa.
Posted On: March 22, 2017
Imagine if every time you looked in the mirror you did not like what you saw. This is the case for people with anorexia nervosa—a disorder characterized by a fear of gaining weight and preoccupation with body image.
To achieve a low body weight, people with anorexia nervosa exhibit behaviours such as restricting calories or over-exercising. They also often have mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, and are frequently in denial about their illness. Of those that do seek psychological therapy or other conventional treatments, up to half do not get better. For these people, there are few effective and long-lasting alternative treatments.
To address this issue, Krembil Senior Scientist Dr. Andres Lozano and a team of researchers that included Dr. D. Blake Woodside (TGHRI Affiliate Scientist) started using a surgical procedure called deep brain stimulation (DBS) as an experimental therapy for anorexia nervosa—a world first—in 2013. DBS involves implanting electrodes into specific parts of the brain and delivering electrical stimulation to modulate brain activity in these regions. Dr. Lozano targeted the subcallosal cingulate region with DBS, as this part of the brain is implicated in mood disturbances.
Building on these preliminary trials, which demonstrated promising results, the group of researchers initiated the largest and most comprehensive study to date investigating DBS for people with treatment-unresponsive anorexia nervosa. The results of the study demonstrated that the treatment is associated with increased body mass index (an indicator of body fat based on height/weight), as well as improved mood, including reduced depression and anxiety. Importantly, these effects were long-lasting, and the treatment was safe and well-tolerated.
"Our study emphasizes the need for continued research into our understanding of how the brain works—not only for anorexia nervosa, but also for other psychiatric disorders," explains Dr. Lozano.
Read about the 2013 pilot study results on which this study is based here.
To achieve a low body weight, people with anorexia nervosa exhibit behaviours such as restricting calories or over-exercising. They also often have mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, and are frequently in denial about their illness. Of those that do seek psychological therapy or other conventional treatments, up to half do not get better. For these people, there are few effective and long-lasting alternative treatments.
To address this issue, Krembil Senior Scientist Dr. Andres Lozano and a team of researchers that included Dr. D. Blake Woodside (TGHRI Affiliate Scientist) started using a surgical procedure called deep brain stimulation (DBS) as an experimental therapy for anorexia nervosa—a world first—in 2013. DBS involves implanting electrodes into specific parts of the brain and delivering electrical stimulation to modulate brain activity in these regions. Dr. Lozano targeted the subcallosal cingulate region with DBS, as this part of the brain is implicated in mood disturbances.
Building on these preliminary trials, which demonstrated promising results, the group of researchers initiated the largest and most comprehensive study to date investigating DBS for people with treatment-unresponsive anorexia nervosa. The results of the study demonstrated that the treatment is associated with increased body mass index (an indicator of body fat based on height/weight), as well as improved mood, including reduced depression and anxiety. Importantly, these effects were long-lasting, and the treatment was safe and well-tolerated.
"Our study emphasizes the need for continued research into our understanding of how the brain works—not only for anorexia nervosa, but also for other psychiatric disorders," explains Dr. Lozano.
Read about the 2013 pilot study results on which this study is based here.