Treatment of Bulimia
Bulimia is a severe eating disorder that involves the frequent ingestion of unusually large amounts of food for consumption and the feeling of being unable to stop eating. Psychiatric disorders that are often associated with bulimia include depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and substance use disorders. If self-help therapy alone is not enough or does not help a person with bulimia after 4 weeks, the person may also receive cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or medication.
Pharmacological Treatment of Bulimia
Pharmacological treatment for bulimia includes antidepressants, anticonvulsants, neuropeptide Y inhibitors, and appetite suppressants.
- Antidepressants: Bulimia is often accompanied by depressive symptoms, and antidepressants can improve mood and reduce binge eating episodes.
- Anticonvulsants: Certain anticonvulsants can also be used to treat bulimia nervosa.
- Neuropeptide Y inhibitors: Neuropeptide Y is a hormone that promotes appetite. Neuropeptide Y inhibitors may decrease appetite and reduce the risk of bulimia attacks.
- Appetite suppressants: Appetite suppressants can suppress appetite and reduce the amount of food eaten by people with bulimia.
It is important to note that although these drugs help control episodes of bulimia, they may have little effect on weight loss.
Pathophysiological Studies of Bulimia
| Neurochemistry |
Patients with bulimia have lower serum concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factors, such as insulin-like growth factor-1 and neurotrophic factor. As for neurotransmitters, serum concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine were decreased, while dopamine levels were increased. Neurotransmitter imbalance in brain regions may be the cause of appetite disorders. |
| Electrophysiology |
It has been found that the cortical activity of bulimia patients differs from normal individuals, including reduced activity in the prefrontal and parietal cortices and increased activity in the temporal cortex. These changes may be related to the onset and development of bulimia. |
| Endocrine regulation |
Abnormal release of endocrine substances such as gastrointestinal hormones, insulin, gastrin, and glucagon may influence the onset and development of bulimia. |
| Brain structure |
Abnormal structural and functional connections in brain regions such as the cerebral cortex, amygdala, hypothalamus, and ventral prefrontal cortex may be associated with the occurrence and development of bulimia. |
How Can We Help?
Ace Therapeutics can help you effectively screen and optimize drug molecules to reduce the occurrence of fatal and adverse reactions. In the treatment of bulimia, our preclinical drug development services often involve pharmacology, toxicology, metabolic kinetics, drug safety, and efficacy. We typically collaborate with medical institutions and drug companies to develop and study novel drug molecules. These services will often include screening and evaluating drug properties, determining drug activity and efficacy, and studying the metabolic processes of drugs in animals.
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