Three new studies on the hormone oxytocin suggest that it could be an effective pharmacological treatment for anorexia. In one study, after being given intranasal oxytocin, anorexic women were shown to have less interest in food and shape-related pictures – this reaction being similar to that of a healthy woman. In another study, anorexic women given oxytocin were shown to pay less attention to disgusted faces and more attention to angry ones, the opposite of the typical reaction seen in women with this disorder. In the third study, women with anorexia were found to carry variations in oxytocin receptor genes that may cause an oxytocin deficiency. Current treatment for anorexia is largely based on therapy. Drugs indicated specifically for the treatment of anorexia are lacking so studies such as these appear promising.
Autism and anorexia have wildly different public faces. Janet Treasure, professor of psychiatry and director of the eating disorders unit at King’s College in London. Evidence that oxytocin, a brain chemical also known as the “love hormone,” can help autistic people pay more attention to social …
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From Time
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