It can be a very unique and overwhelming experience that lasts for several hours, says lecturer Pouya Movahed Rad, who is a psychiatrist at Skåne University Hospital.
Anorexia is a serious disease with limited treatment options, particularly in the form of medication, he notes.
Researchers are focusing on the fact that anorexia patients need help breaking rigid thought and behavioral patterns. That's why there are hopes for the psychedelic substance psilocybin. It causes something that Pouya Movahed Rad likened to a temporary chaos in the brain.
Therapeutic window
One can say that parts of the brain that normally do not communicate with each other start doing so. One thinks that these new communications between different parts increase the brain's ability to see things from a new perspective.
The hope is to open a "therapeutic window", which can help the patient find new ways to look at themselves, their body, and their relationship to food.
Such effects have been seen in research studies in patients suffering from depression or post-traumatic syndrome.
Psilocybin is a narcotic and can only be used in research studies in Sweden. Now it's about a pilot study with 40 participants.
Twenty participants between the ages of 16 and 35 will be given the psychedelic at two occasions with a four-week interval, under supervision as long as the intoxication lasts, about six to seven hours.
Evaluate risks
At the same time, a control group of the same size is included in the study, which will not be given psychedelics. Both groups will continue with their regular anorexia treatment in parallel.
The study is being conducted to evaluate the risks and side effects of psilocybin compared to standard treatment of anorexia. The researchers will also investigate time to relapse, impact on BMI, and mental well-being.
If we get good safety data and hints of effect, we would like to do a larger study, says Pouya Movahed Rad.
Cecilia Klintö/TT
Facts: The study
TT
The study begins in the fall with patients recruited within Region Skåne.
The participants must be between 16-35 years old and have had at least one relapse in their illness.
Treatment with the psychedelic substance psilocybin is given on two occasions with a four-week interval.
This will take place under supervision, where, among other things, pulse, blood pressure, and blood sugar are monitored.
The purpose is primarily to evaluate risks and side effects compared to conventional treatment for anorexia nervosa.
Also, time to relapse, changes in BMI, mental well-being will be investigated, as well as how communication between different parts of the brain changes.
The results are expected to be ready in just over two years.
Source: Lund University
