Protein Antagonist May Be Effective in Binge Eating

An antagonist of a cellular protein called the Sigma-1 receptor reduced binge eating in rodents, scientists reported June 20 in Neuropsychopharmacology. Moreover, the antagonist was found to reduce the receptor in specific areas of the brain, notably the prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate. The findings, the scientists believe, offer new insights into the neurobiology of binge eating and may point toward novel ways of pharmacologically treating binge eating.

Although cognitive-behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy, as well as the anticonvulsant medication topiramate, can help people who binge eat, a magic bullet for treating the disorder remains elusive. For more information on the the search for a treatment for binge-eating disorder, see Psychiatric News. To read research and discussions of the conceptual and methodological issues involved in diagnosing and classifying eating disorders, see American Psychiatric Publishing's Developing an Evidence-Based Classification of Eating Disorders: Scientific Findings for DSM-5.

(Image:kentoh/Shutterstock.com)