Table 1.
Synopsis of emerging treatments for weight restoration in Anorexia Nervosa
| Intervention | Classification | Proposed mechanism of action | Supporting evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| RM-131 | Gut neuroendocine | Appetite stimulating ghrelin receptor agonist | Successful Phase II clinical trials proof-of-concept trial on 22 patients with AN |
| Oxytocin | Pituitary hormone | Affects social and feeding behaviors | Changes in attention to food/shape stimuli, clinical trial on-going |
| Testorterone | Sex hormone | Corrects hypometabolism in brain of underweight patients | Increases lean body mass in two RCTs |
| tDCS | Neuromodulation | Modulates excitation of cortical regions | Improvement in eating and depressive symptoms in 5/7 patients |
| rTMS | Neuromodulation | Stimulation or depression of cortical regions | Improvement in eating symptoms in 4 case series, trend toward benefit in 1 RCT |
| DBS | Neuromodulation | Stimulation of subcallosal cingulate | Several case series, one open-label trial of 16 patients |
| Rosiglitazone | PPARg-agonist | Increases mitochondrial biogenesis in brain | Increases food intake and body weight in one rodent model of restriction |
| Omega-6 fatty acids | Nutraceutical | Reduction in inflammation | Clinical study on-going |
| Cannabinoid signaling | Neurotransmission | Stimulate appetite, reduce inflammation | Clinical study on-going |
| Lactobacillus reuteri | Probiotic | Normalizes bowel flora, improves gut function | Clinical study on-going |
Abbrevations: tDCS transcranial direct current stimulation, rTMS repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, DBS deep brain stimulation, PPARg peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, RTC randomized controlled trial