Psilocybin, a substance from a hallucinogenic mushroom, could be used to treat anorexia.
- A substance from a hallucinogenic mushroom was tested in a therapeutic trial with anorexic people.
- It made it possible to improve the daily lives of patients and reduce their symptoms.
- Psilocybin was administered alongside psychological support.
Could a hallucinogenic mushroom become the basis of a treatment for anorexia? This is the theory of a research team from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). They used psilocybin, a substance taken from one of these plants, to treat anorexia nervosa. Their results appeared in Genomic Press.
Anorexia, a disease difficult to treat
In their study, they tested the effectiveness of a single dose of 25 mg of psilocybin, combined with specialized psychological support before, during and after treatment administration. As a preamble to their work, they recall that anorexia nervosa is the illness with the highest mortality rate among psychiatric illnesses and that it has historically resisted conventional treatments. According to Inserm50% of cases, treated during adolescence, recover.
Anorexia: psilocybin treatment has helped improve patients’ daily lives
“Our results suggest that psilocybin may be useful in supporting meaningful psychological change in a subset of people with anorexia nervosa, said Dr Stephanie Knatz Peck, lead author of the study in a press release. What is particularly interesting is that 60% of participants reported a reduction in the importance they placed on their physical appearance, while 70% noted improvements in quality of life and changes in personal identity”. These figures were obtained during in-depth interviews with participants.
Four out of ten participants showed clinically significant reductions in disordered eating. On the other hand, these changes did not automatically translate into a restoration of weight, emphasize the authors. From one person to another, the results of treatment sometimes vary greatly. To better observe the effects of the hallucinogenic substance, further studies will be necessary.”larger and well-controlled studies, including brain imaging and genetic analysis, to better understand who could benefit most from this new therapeutic approach.”observes Dr. Walter H. Kaye, co-author.
What is psychedelic medicine?
This study belongs to the category of psychedelic medicine research. This is based on the use of psychotropic drugs to treat mental illnesses. “Research on psychedelics in the field of psychiatry began in the United States in the late 1940s, and was very prolific until the mid-1960s, tell Inserm. But after the ban on recreational drugs across the Atlantic in 1970, it seriously stalled.” For around twenty years, scientists have been taking an interest in it again to find therapeutic alternatives to treat mental disorders. According to the World Health Organization, eight out of ten people worldwide suffer from a mental disorder.
