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AI-Generated response:

Can psilocybin treat anorexia?

Answer generated on June 4, 2024

The AI-generated responses are for illustration purposes only and should not be used for medical purposes.

Psilocybin has shown potential in preclinical studies for treating anorexia by improving cognitive flexibility and body weight maintenance in animal models, but it is not yet established or approved for this use in humans, and safety data are lacking.[1]

  • Psilocybin treatment in a rat model of activity-based anorexia (ABA) improved body weight maintenance and cognitive flexibility, suggesting potential therapeutic effects for anorexia nervosa (AN).[1]

  • The study indicated that psilocybin's effects might be mediated through serotonin 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors, which are involved in cognitive processes and behavioral regulation.[1]

  • Psilocybin led to a transient increase and decrease in cortical transcription of 5-HT2A and 5-HT1A receptors, respectively, which might underpin its effects on cognitive flexibility.[1]

  • Antagonism of the 5-HT1A receptor negated the cognitive enhancing effects of psilocybin, highlighting the importance of this receptor in the drug's mechanism of action.[1]

  • The findings are based on animal models, and thus, clinical trials in humans are necessary to confirm efficacy and safety for treating anorexia nervosa.[1]

Additional info

The study by Conn et al. provides a mechanistic insight into how psilocybin could potentially be beneficial in treating anorexia nervosa by enhancing cognitive flexibility and aiding in weight maintenance.[1] This is particularly relevant as cognitive inflexibility is a characteristic of anorexia nervosa. However, it is crucial to note that these findings are from animal studies, and human clinical trials are needed to determine the safety and efficacy of psilocybin for this indication. The involvement of specific serotonin receptors suggests that future therapies could be tailored based on individual neurobiological profiles, potentially improving treatment outcomes. Nonetheless, until clinical data are available, psilocybin remains an experimental treatment for anorexia nervosa, and its use should be considered with caution due to the lack of established safety profiles in this context.

References

Reference 1

1.

Conn K, Milton LK, Huang K, et al. Molecular Psychiatry. 2024;:10.1038/s41380-024-02575-9. doi:10.1038/s41380-024-02575-9.

Publish date: April 6, 2024.

Psilocybin has shown promise for alleviating symptoms of depression and is currently in clinical trials for the treatment of anorexia nervosa (AN), a condition that is characterised by persistent cognitive inflexibility. Considering that enhanced cognitive flexibility after psilocybin treatment is reported to occur in individuals with depression, it is plausible that psilocybin could improve symptoms of AN by breaking down cognitive inflexibility. A mechanistic understanding of the actions of psilocybin is required to tailor the clinical application of psilocybin to individuals most likely to respond with positive outcomes. This can only be achieved using incisive neurobiological approaches in animal models. Here, we use the activity-based anorexia (ABA) rat model and comprehensively assess aspects of reinforcement learning to show that psilocybin... (truncated preview)

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