A Randomized Trial of Deep Brain Stimulation to the Subcallosal Cingulate and Nucleus Accumbens in Patients with Treatment-Refractory, Chronic, and Severe Anorexia Nervosa: Initial Results at 6 Months of Follow Up

Severe enduring anorexia nervosa (SE-AN) treatment options and their effectiveness: a review of literature

INTRODUCTION

 For nearly 20% of patients diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa (AN), the eating disorder (ED) is prolonged and becomes long-lasting. It has been reported that patients diagnosed with Severe Enduring Anorexia Nervosa (SE-AN) have worse ED symptoms, higher rates of lifetime hospitalization, and lower psychosocial well-being compared to patients with shorter disease duration.

OBJECTIVES

 This review aims to describe the treatments proposed to date and their effectiveness on SE-AN-related outcomes.

METHODS

 We conducted a PubMed search for studies addressing the issue of treatment approach to SE-AN adults, that were published between 2003 and 2023, peer-reviewed, written in the English language, and available in full-text. Next, we inductively created relevant macro-themes by synthesizing the data from the included articles.

RESULTS

 Of 251 PubMed studies, 25 articles were considered for data extraction, all published between 2003 and 2022. We identified three macro-themes. The first macro-theme, "Psychotherapy", mostly takes into consideration treatment effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Various reports determined its greater effectiveness compared to Specialist Supportive Clinical Management (SSCM), and one study proved that outpatient CBT is a valid alternative to hospitalization. The second one involves "Pharmacological Treatments". Research on dronabinol, a synthetic orexigenic cannabinoid, antipsychotics (in particular, olanzapine and haloperidol), and ketamine showed some mixed results regarding the often-complementary areas of weight gain and improvement in ED-related symptoms. Regarding the third macro-theme, "Brain Stimulation Therapies," such as Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), we found promising results in improving ED-related psychological traits (such as mood and anxiety), affective regulation, and quality of life. However, we have observed divergent results regarding outcome measures such as BMI and weight gain.

CONCLUSIONS

 SE-AN patients are predicted to encounter both medical complications and psychological distress of increasing severity that will inevitably affect their quality of life; to our knowledge, research evidence on treatment options for SE-AN remains limited, and the methodological quality of studies is generally low. These findings denote the need to focus future research efforts on effective treatment strategies specific to long-lasting EDs.

Exploring the influence of circulating endocannabinoids and nucleus accumbens functional connectivity on anorexia nervosa severity

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe psychiatric disorder characterized by a harmful persistence of self-imposed starvation resulting in significant weight loss. Research suggests that alterations in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and circulating endocannabinoids (eCBs), such as anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), may contribute to increased severity and maladaptive behaviors in AN, warranting an examination of the interplay between central reward circuitry and eCBs. For this purpose, we assessed NAcc functional connectivity and circulating AEA and 2-AG concentrations in 18 individuals with AN and 18 healthy controls (HC) to test associations between circulating eCBs, NAcc functional connectivity, and AN severity, as defined by body mass index (BMI). Decreased connectivity was observed between the NAcc and the right insula (NAcc-insula; pFWE < 0.001) and the left supplementary motor area (NAcc-SMA; pFWE < 0.001) in the AN group compared to HC. Reduced NAcc-insula functional connectivity mediated the association between AEA concentrations and BMI in the AN group. However, in HC, NAcc-SMA functional connectivity had a mediating role between AEA concentrations and BMI. Although no significant differences in eCBs concentrations were observed between the groups, our findings provide insights into how the interaction between eCBs and NAcc functional connectivity influences AN severity. Altered NAcc-insula and NAcc-SMA connectivity in AN may impair the integration of interoceptive, somatosensory, and motor planning information related to reward stimuli. Furthermore, the distinct associations between eCBs concentrations and NAcc functional connectivity in AN and HC could have clinical implications for weight maintenance, with eCBs being a potential target for AN treatment.

Neural effects of deep brain stimulation on reward and loss anticipation and food viewing in anorexia nervosa: a pilot study

BACKGROUND

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe and life-threatening psychiatric disorder. Initial studies on deep brain stimulation (DBS) in severe, treatment-refractory AN have shown clinical effects. However, the working mechanisms of DBS in AN remain largely unknown. Here, we used a task-based functional MRI approach to understand the pathophysiology of AN.

METHODS

We performed functional MRI on four AN patients that participated in a pilot study on the efficacy, safety, and functional effects of DBS targeted at the ventral limb of the capsula interna (vALIC). The patients and six gender-matched healthy controls (HC) were investigated at three different time points. We used an adapted version of the monetary incentive delay task to probe generic reward processing in patients and controls, and a food-specific task in patients only.

RESULTS

At baseline, no significant differences for reward anticipation were found between AN and HC. Significant group (AN and HC) by time (pre- and post-DBS) interactions were found in the right precuneus, right putamen, right ventral and medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC). No significant interactions were found in the food viewing task, neither between the conditions high-calorie and low-calorie food images nor between the different time points. This could possibly be due to the small sample size and the lack of a control group.

CONCLUSION

The results showed a difference in the response of reward-related brain areas post-DBS. This supports the hypotheses that the reward circuitry is involved in the pathogenesis of AN and that DBS affects responsivity of reward-related brain areas. Trial registration Registered in the Netherlands Trial Register ( https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/3322 ): NL3322 (NTR3469).

Innovative perspectives in limbic surgery using deep brain stimulation

Limbic surgery is one of the most attractive and retaken fields of functional neurosurgery in the last two decades. Psychiatric surgery emerged from the incipient work of Moniz and Lima lesioning the prefrontal cortex in agitated patients. Since the onset of stereotactic and functional neurosurgery with Spiegel and Wycis, the treatment of mental diseases gave attention to refractory illnesses mainly with the use of thalamotomies. Neurosis and some psychotic symptoms were treated by them. Several indications when lesioning the brain were included: obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, and aggressiveness among others with a diversity of targets. The indiscriminately use of anatomical sites without enough scientific evidence, and uncertainly defined criteria for selecting patients merged with a deficiency in ethical aspects, brought a lack of procedures for a long time: only select clinics allowed this surgery around the world from 1950 to the 1990s. In 1999, Nuttin et al. began a new chapter in limbic surgery with the use of Deep Brain Stimulation, based on the experience of pain, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy. The efforts were focused on different targets to treat depression and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Nevertheless, other diseases were added to use neuromodulation. The goal of this article is to show the new opportunities to treat neuropsychiatric diseases.

Refractory anorexia nervosa in adulthood and nucleus accumbens deep brain stimulation

Background

Anorexia Nervosa is a life-threatening mental illness with numerous consequences. Some cases are chronic and refractory to multiple treatments. Consequently, there is great interest in therapeutic alternatives that may improve severe patients. We present an adult patient with anorexia nervosa that underwent to bilateral nucleus accumbens deep brain stimulation (NAc-DBS).

Case description

The patient was a healthy 46-year-old woman with higher education and an adequate premorbid socio-labour situation. Her disease had a late onset (25 years). The patient never presented clinical remission or weight stability. In recent years, the patient's body mass index (BMI) was 13.16 (32kg). The case was evaluated with multiple neuropsychological tests as well as the BMI before and after surgery. The clinical follow-up was 50 months. After bilateral NAc-DBS the patient experienced an important clinical benefit and significant improvement in neuropsychological tests and weight (BMI 17.28, 42 kg; 50th month) Programming: 4,5V, 130Hz, 210 µs.

Conclusion

Despite the patient´s age and the long duration of the disease, our results suggest that bilateral nucleus accumbens stimulation may be a useful and effective therapeutic strategy for cases such as the one presented. Additionally, this case presents a surgical midlife patient with both the latest disease onset and the longest follow-up after treatment in the literature.

MC, Bidika E. A Clinical Overview of Anorexia Nervosa and Overcoming Treatment Resistance

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a type of eating disorder that has been increasing in incidence and has been encountered more commonly by physicians in their daily practice. Both environmental and genetic risk factors paired along with a more susceptible neurobiology are at play in the emerging resistance to treatment in AN. Preoccupations with intense fear of weight gain, dietary restrictions, excessive exercise, and how the individual is perceived by society mixed with underlying psychopathology all further add to the issue. Many patients who fall into this cycle of obsessive and restrictive patterns refuse to get treatment. As clinicians, it is essential we recognize the early signs of both eating disorders during the initial primary care appointments.

To review the literature on the etiology of AN, possible misdiagnosis leading to inappropriate management of this condition, and understand the treatment-resistant AN and its management. Additionally, it will explore possible reasons that contribute to the resistance to treatment, the underlying psychopathology of anorexics, its genetic predisposition, psychiatric comorbidities, identification of the early signs and symptoms, and timely prevention.

Early recognition by a physician includes a thorough history and physical examination, pertinent laboratory, and electrolyte studies, and identifying comorbid psychiatric conditions. The treatment of AN is intricate and requires a holistic approach. Treatment includes multiple modalities such as nutritional rehabilitation and psychosocial and pharmacological therapies. An interdisciplinary team of medical professionals for managing chronic AN is recommended.

Efficacy and safety of deep brain stimulation for treatment-refractory anorexia nervosa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Several pioneering studies investigated deep brain stimulation (DBS) in treatment-refractory anorexia nervosa (AN) patients, but overall effects remain yet unclear. Aim of this study was to obtain estimates of efficacy of DBS in AN-patients using meta-analysis.

METHODS

We searched three electronic databases until 1st of November 2021, using terms related to DBS and AN. We included trials that investigated the clinical effects of DBS in AN-patients. We obtained data including psychiatric comorbidities, medication use, DBS target, and study duration. Primary outcome was Body Mass Index (BMI), secondary outcome was quality of life, and the severity of psychiatric symptoms, including eating disorder, obsessive-compulsive, depressive, and anxiety symptoms. We assessed the risk of bias using the ROBINS-I tool.

RESULTS

Four studies were included for meta-analysis, with a total of 56 patients with treatment-refractory AN. Follow-up ranged from 6-24 months. Random effects meta-analysis showed a significant increase in BMI following DBS, with a large effect size (Hedges's g = 1 ∙ 13; 95% CI = 0 ∙ 80 to 1 ∙ 46; Z-value = 6 ∙ 75; P < 0 ∙ 001), without heterogeneity (I²= 0 ∙ 00, P = 0 ∙ 901). Random effects meta-analysis also showed a significant increase in quality of life (Hedges's g = 0 ∙ 86; 95% CI = 0 ∙ 44 to 1 ∙ 28; Z-value = 4 ∙ 01, P < 0 ∙ 001). Furthermore, DBS decreased the severity of psychiatric symptoms (Hedges's g = 0 ∙ 89; 95% CI = 0 ∙ 57 to 1 ∙ 21; Z-value = 5 ∙ 47; P < 0 ∙ 001, I²= 4 ∙ 29, P = 0 ∙ 371).

DISCUSSION

In this first meta-analysis, DBS showed statistically large beneficial effects on weight restoration, quality of life, and reduction of psychiatric symptoms in patients with treatment-refractory AN. These outcomes call for more extensive naturalistic studies to determine the clinical relevance for functional recovery. This study is preregistered in PROSPERO,CRD42022295712.

Deep Brain Stimulation of the Nucleus Accumbens in Severe Enduring Anorexia Nervosa: A Pilot Study

Introduction

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is one of the most debilitating psychiatric disorders, becoming severe and enduring in a third of cases; with few effective treatments. Deep brain stimulation is a reversible, adjustable neurosurgical procedure that has been gaining ground in psychiatry as a treatment for depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, yet few studies have investigated AN. Abnormal eating behavior and the compulsive pursuit of thinness in AN is, in part, a consequence of dysfunction in reward circuitry and the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) is central to reward processing.

Methods

Phase 1 prospective open-label pilot study of seven individuals with severe enduring AN. Electrodes were implanted bilaterally into the NAcc with stimulation at the anterior limb of the internal capsule using rechargeable implantable pulse generators. The protocol of 15 months included 12 months of deep brain stimulation incorporating two consecutive, randomized blind on-off fortnights 9 months after stimulation onset. The primary objectives were to investigate safety and feasibility, together with changes in eating disorder psychopathology.

Results

Feasibility and safety was demonstrated with no serious adverse events due to deep brain stimulation. Three patients responded to treatment [defined as > 35% reduction in Eating Disorders Examination (EDE) score at 12 months] and four patients were non-responders. Responders had a statistically significant mean reduction in EDE scores (50.3% reduction; 95% CI 2.6-98.2%), Clinical Impairment Assessment (45.6% reduction; 95% CI 7.4-83.7%). Responders also had a statistically significant mean reduction in Hamilton Depression Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Scale and Snaith-Hamilton pleasure scale. There were no statistically significant changes in Body Mass Index, Yale-Brown-Cornell Eating Disorder Scale, Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and World Health Organization Quality of Life Psychological subscale.

Conclusion

This study provides some preliminary indication that deep brain stimulation to the NAcc. Might potentially improve some key features of enduring AN. In this small study, the three responders had comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder which predated AN diagnosis. Future studies should aim to further elucidate predictors of outcome.

Clinical Trial Registration

[www.ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [Project ID 128658].

Role of deep brain stimulation in management of psychiatric disorders

Nowadays, most of patients affected by psychiatric disorders are successfully treated with conservative therapies. Still, a variable percentage of them demonstrate resistance to conventional treatments, and alternative methods can then be considered. During the last 20 years, there is a progressive interest in use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in mental illnesses. It has become clear nowadays, that this modality may be effectively applied under specific indications in some patients with major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders, Tourette syndrome, schizophrenia, substance use disorder, and even pathologically aggressive behavior. Despite the fact that the efficacy of neuromodulation with DBS, as well as of various lesional interventions, in cases of mental illnesses is still not fully established, there are several premises for wider applications of such "unclassical" psychiatric treatments in the future. Novel technologies of DBS, developments in non-invasive lesioning using stereotactic radiosurgery and transcranial magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound, and advances of neurophysiological and neuroimaging modalities may bolster further clinical applications of psychiatric neurosurgery, improve its results, and allow for individually selected treatment strategies tailored to specific needs of the patient.

Cognitive and quality-of-life related factors of body mass index (BMI) improvement after deep brain stimulation in the subcallosal cingulate and nucleus accumbens in treatment-refractory chronic anorexia nervosa

BACKGROUND

Up to 20% of the cases of anorexia nervosa (AN) are chronic and treatment-resistant. Recently, the efficacy of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for severe cases of AN has been explored, with studies showing an improvement in body mass index and other psychiatric outcomes. While the effects of DBS on cognitive domains have been studied in patients with other neurological and psychiatric conditions so far, no evidence has been gathered in AN.

METHODS

Eight patients with severe, chronic, treatment-resistant AN received DBS either to the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) or subcallosal cingulate (SCC; four subjects on each target). A comprehensive battery of neuropsychological and clinical outcomes was used before and 6-month after surgery.

FINDINGS

Although Body Mass Index (BMI) did not normalise, statistically significant improvements in BMI, quality of life, and performance on cognitive flexibility were observed after 6 months of DBS. Changes in BMI were related to a decrease in depressive symptoms and an improvement in memory functioning.

INTERPRETATION

These findings, although preliminary, support the use of DBS in AN, pointing to its safety, even for cognitive functioning; improvements of cognitive flexibility are reported. DBS seems to exert changes on cognition and mood that accompany BMI increments. Further studies are needed better to determine the impact of DBS on cognitive functions.

A Longitudinal Magnetoencephalographic Study of the Effects of Deep Brain Stimulation on Neuronal Dynamics in Severe Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a debilitating psychiatric disorder characterized by the relentless pursuit of thinness, leading to severe emaciation. Magnetoencephalography (MEG)was used to record the neuronal response in seven patients with treatment-resistant AN while completing a disorder-relevant food wanting task. The patients underwent a 15-month protocol, where MEG scans were conducted pre-operatively, post-operatively prior to deep brain stimulation (DBS) switch on, twice during a blind on/off month and at protocol end. Electrodes were implanted bilaterally into the nucleus accumbens with stimulation at the anterior limb of the internal capsule using rechargeable implantable pulse generators. Three patients met criteria as responders at 12 months of stimulation, showing reductions of eating disorder psychopathology of over 35%. An increase in alpha power, as well as evoked power at latencies typically associated with visual processing, working memory, and contextual integration was observed in ON compared to OFF sessions across all seven patients. Moreover, an increase in evoked power at P600-like latencies as well as an increase in γ-band phase-locking over anterior-to-posterior regions were observed for high- compared to low-calorie food image only in ON sessions. These findings indicate that DBS modulates neuronal process in regions far outside the stimulation target site and at latencies possibly reflecting task specific processing, thereby providing further evidence that deep brain stimulation can play a role in the treatment of otherwise intractable psychiatric disorders.

Neuromodulation and Eating Disorders

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

We review recent evidence on the use of neuromodulation for treating eating disorders (EDs), including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. We evaluate studies on (a) modern non-invasive methods of brain stimulation, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), (b) electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and (c) more invasive techniques, including deep brain stimulation (DBS).

RECENT FINDINGS

Most reports on the clinical applications of neuromodulation in EDs are limited to case studies, case series and small clinical trials. The majority have focused on severe, enduring and hard-to-treat cases of AN. In this population, data suggest that both rTMS and DBS have therapeutic potential and are safe and acceptable. High-quality clinical trials in different ED populations are needed which investigate different stimulation methods, sites and parameters, the use of neuromodulation as stand-alone and/or adjunctive treatment, as well as the mechanisms of action.

Deep brain stimulation for psychiatric disorders: role of imaging in identifying/confirming DBS targets, predicting, and optimizing outcome and unravelling mechanisms of action

Following the established application of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the treatment of movement disorders, new non-neurological indications have emerged, such as for obsessive-compulsive disorders, major depressive disorder, dementia, Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome, anorexia nervosa, and addictions. As DBS is a network modulation surgical treatment, the development of DBS for both neurological and psychiatric disorders has been partly driven by advances in neuroimaging, which has helped explain the brain networks implicated. Advances in magnetic resonance imaging connectivity and electrophysiology have led to the development of the concept of modulating widely distributed, complex brain networks. Moreover, the increasing number of targets for treating psychiatric disorders have indicated that there may be a convergence of the effect of stimulating different targets for the same disorder, and the effect of stimulating the same target for different disorders. The aim of this paper is to review the imaging studies of DBS for psychiatric disorders. Imaging, and particularly connectivity analysis, offers exceptional opportunities to better understand and even predict the clinical outcomes of DBS, especially where there is a lack of objective biomarkers that are essential to properly guide DBS pre- and post-operatively. In future, imaging might also prove useful to individualize DBS treatment. Finally, one of the most important aspects of imaging in DBS is that it allows us to better understand the brain through observing the changes of the functional connectome under neuromodulation, which may in turn help explain the mechanisms of action of DBS that remain elusive.

A narrative review on invasive brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression

While most patients with depression respond to pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, about one-third will present treatment resistance to these interventions. For patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), invasive neurostimulation therapies such as vagus nerve stimulation, deep brain stimulation, and epidural cortical stimulation may be considered. We performed a narrative review of the published literature to identify papers discussing clinical studies with invasive neurostimulation therapies for TRD. After a database search and title and abstract screening, relevant English-language articles were analyzed. Vagus nerve stimulation, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a TRD treatment, may take several months to show therapeutic benefits, and the average response rate varies from 15.2-83%. Deep brain stimulation studies have shown encouraging results, including rapid response rates (> 30%), despite conflicting findings from randomized controlled trials. Several brain regions, such as the subcallosal-cingulate gyrus, nucleus accumbens, ventral capsule/ventral striatum, anterior limb of the internal capsule, medial-forebrain bundle, lateral habenula, inferior-thalamic peduncle, and the bed-nucleus of the stria terminalis have been identified as key targets for TRD management. Epidural cortical stimulation, an invasive intervention with few reported cases, showed positive results (40-60% response), although more extensive trials are needed to confirm its potential in patients with TRD.

Rescue Anterior Capsulotomy after Failure of Nucleus Accumbens Deep Brain Stimulation in Anorexia Nervosa: A Case Report

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a highly disabling mental disorder with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Few psychological treatments and pharmacotherapy are proven to be effective for adult AN. Two invasive stereotactic neurosurgical interventions, deep brain stimulation (DBS) and anterior capsulotomy, are now commonly used as investigational approaches for the treatment of AN. Here, we report the long-term safety and efficacy of rescue bilateral anterior capsulotomy after the failure of bilateral nucleus accumbens (NAcc)-DBS in an 18-year-old female patient with life-threatening and treatment-resistant restricting subtype AN. Improvements in the neuropsychiatric assessment were not documented 6 months after the NAcc-DBS. Rescue bilateral anterior capsulotomy was proposed and performed, resulting in a long-lasting restoration of body weight and a significant and sustained remission in AN core symptoms. The DBS pulse generator was exhausted 2 years after capsulotomy and removed 3 years postoperatively. No relapse was reported at the last follow-up (7 years after the first intervention). From this case, we suggest that capsulotomy could be a rescue treatment for patients with treatment-resistant AN after NAcc-DBS failure. Further well-controlled studies are warranted to validate our findings.

Treatment-resistant bipolar depression: concepts and challenges for novel interventions

Treatment-resistant bipolar depression (TRBD) has been reported in about one-quarter of patients with bipolar disorders, and few interventions have shown clear and established effectiveness. We conducted a narrative review of the published medical literature to identify papers discussing treatment-resistant depression concepts and novel interventions for bipolar depression that focus on TRBD. We searched for potentially relevant English-language articles published in the last decade. Selected articles (based on the title and abstract) were retrieved for a more detailed evaluation. A number of promising new interventions, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological, are being investigated for TRBD treatment, including ketamine, lurasidone, D-cycloserine, pioglitazone, N-acetylcysteine, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers, cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitors, magnetic seizure therapy, intermittent theta-burst stimulation, deep transcranial magnetic stimulation, vagus nerve stimulation therapy, and deep brain stimulation. Although there is no consensus about the concept of TRBD, better clarification of the neurobiology associated with treatment non-response could help identify novel strategies. More research is warranted, mainly focusing on personalizing current treatments to optimize response and remission rates.

Optimising care pathways for adult anorexia nervosa. What is the evidence to guide the provision of high-quality, cost-effective services?

The aim of this paper is to consider how changes in service planning and delivery might improve the care pathways for adult anorexia nervosa. Although anorexia nervosa has a long history in Europe, its framing as a mental disorder is quite recent. The changing forms and increasing epidemiology of eating disorders has led to the expansion of specialised services. Although some services provide care over the entire clinical course, more often services are divided into those that care for children and adolescents or adults. The transition needs to be carefully managed as currently these services may have a different ethos and expectations. Services for adults have a broad range of diversity (diagnostic subtype, medical severity, comorbidity, stage of illness and psychosocial functioning) all of which impacts on prognosis. A tailored, approach to treatment planning could optimise the pathway. Facilitating early help seeking and rapid diagnosis in primary care and reducing specialised services waiting lists for assessment and treatment could be a form of secondary prevention. The use of precision models and /or continuous outcome monitoring might reduce the third of patients who require more intensive care by applying augmentation strategies. Finally, gains from intensive care might be sustained by relapse prevention interventions and community support to bridge the transition home. Together these measures might reduce the proportion of patients (currently a third) with ill health for over 20 years. For this group rehabilitation strategies may improve functioning until new treatment emerge.

Alternatives to Pharmacological and Psychotherapeutic Treatments in Psychiatric Disorders

Nowadays, most of the patients affected by psychiatric disorders are successfully treated with psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. Nevertheless, according to the disease, a variable percentage of patients results resistant to such modalities, and alternative methods can then be considered. The purpose of this review is to summarize the techniques and results of invasive modalities for several treatment-resistant psychiatric diseases. A literature search was performed to provide an up-to-date review of advantages, disadvantages, efficacy, and complications of Deep-Brain Stimulation, Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused-Ultrasound, radiofrequency, and radiotherapy lesioning for depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, addiction, anorexia nervosa, and Tourette’s syndrome. The literature search did not strictly follow the criteria for a systematic review: due to the large differences in methodologies and patients’ cohort, we tried to identify the highest quality of available evidence for each technique. We present the data as a comprehensive, narrative review about the role, indication, safety, and results of the contemporary instrumental techniques that opened new therapeutic fields for selected patients unresponsive to psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy.

Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa

Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a life-threatening illness with poor treatment outcomes. Although transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a promising non-invasive brain stimulation method, its effect in patients with AN remains unclear. Objective: This study investigated changes in maladaptive eating behavior, body mass index (BMI), and depression after 10 sessions of anodal tDCS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Methods: In this double-blind, randomized controlled trial, 43 inpatients with AN were divided to receive either active (n = 22) or sham (n = 21) tDCS over the left DLPFC (anode F3/cathode Fp2, 2 mA for 30 min). All patients filled the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZUNG), and their BMI was measured. These values were obtained repeatedly in four stages: (1) before tDCS treatment, (2) after tDCS treatment, (3) in the follow-up after 2 weeks, and (4) in the follow-up after 4 weeks. Results: Primary outcomes (EDE-Q) based on the ANOVA results do not show any between-group differences either after the active part of the study or in the follow-up. Secondary analysis reveals a reduction in some items of EDE-Q. Compared with sham tDCS, active tDCS significantly improved self-evaluation based on body shape (p < 0.05) and significantly decreased the need of excessive control over calorie intake (p < 0.05) in the 4-week follow-up. However, the results do not survive multiple comparison correction. In both sham and active groups, the BMI values improved, albeit not significantly. Conclusion: We did not observe a significant effect of tDCS over the left DLPFC on complex psychopathology and weight recovery in patients with AN. tDCS reduced the need to follow specific dietary rules and improved body image evaluation in patients with AN. Tests with a larger sample and different positions of electrodes are needed. Clinical Trial Registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03273205.

Advances in Eating Disorders

Eating disorders (EDs) are a group of mental disorders characterized by an altered food intake and the presence of inappropriate behaviors for the control of body weight, framed as an excessive concern regarding one’s weight and figure [...]

Brain Stimulation in Eating Disorders: State of the Art and Future Perspectives

The management of eating disorders (EDs) is still difficult and few treatments are effective. Recently, several studies have described the important contribution of non-invasive brain stimulation (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, and electroconvulsive therapy) and invasive brain stimulation (deep brain stimulation and vagal nerve stimulation) for ED management. This review summarizes the available evidence supporting the use of brain stimulation in ED. All published studies on brain stimulation in ED as well as ongoing trials registered at clinicaltrials.gov were examined. Articles on neuromodulation research and perspective articles were also included. This analysis indicates that brain stimulation in EDs is still in its infancy. Literature data consist mainly of case reports, cases series, open studies, and only a few randomized controlled trials. Consequently, the evidence supporting the use of brain stimulation in EDs remains weak. Finally, this review discusses future directions in this research domain (e.g., sites of modulation, how to enhance neuromodulation efficacy, personalized protocols).