Objective: Finding medication to support treatment of anorexia nervosa has been difficult. Neuroscience-based approaches may help in this effort. Recent brain imaging studies in adults and adolescents with anorexia nervosa suggest that dopamine-related reward circuits are hypersensitive and could provide a treatment target.
Methods: Here, we present a retrospective chart review of 106 adolescents with anorexia nervosa some of whom were treated with the dopamine D2 receptor partial agonist aripiprazole during treatment in a specialized eating disorder program.
Results: The results show that aripiprazole treatment was associated with greater increase in body mass index (BMI) during treatment.
Discussion: The use of dopamine receptor agonists may support treatment success in anorexia nervosa and should be further investigated.
Keywords: anorexia nervosa; aripiprazole; dopamine; eating disorder; medication; receptor; treatment; weight gain.
© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.