Antipsychotics Boost Anorexia Survival Rates

I recently came across a study by experts at the University of Chicago that revealed an interesting approach to treating anorexia nervosa, a condition for which there is currently no viable cure.

In a series of tests conducted on mice, scientists noticed that giving the unsuspecting rodents doses of antipsychotic drugs dramatically improved their chances of survival. If the research can be translated in humans, then this could lead to an improvement in the outcome of anorexia nervosa treatments.

For the investigation, scientists used the drug olanzapine, which is being sold to patients under the brand name Zyprexa. Mice that got the drug were more resistant to activity-based anorexia (ABA), a condition they usually develop when they are made to train on a wheel while getting little food.

“We found over and over again that olanzapine was effective in harsher conditions, less harsh conditions, adolescents, adults – it consistently worked," PhD student Stephanie Klenotich says, quoted by PsychCentral.