No abstract

There may be a link between infectious disease and some cases of AN, which raises the possibility of new treatment.

A larger study is needed to determine whether D8/17 serves as a marker for susceptibility to a type of anorexia nervosa.

Objectives Psychotherapy and antidepressant medication are helpful to many patients with bulimia nervosa (BN). However, a substantial number of bulimics respond poorly to such treatments. Recent studies suggest that many of the poor responders have cluster B personality disorders. In some ways, the symptomatology of bulimics who have a comorbid cluster B disorder resembles that of patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In particular, individuals in both groups frequently have a high level of impulsivity. Such a resemblance raised the question of whether administration of methylphenidate (MPH), a drug used to treat ADHD, would have therapeutic effects in this subgroup of BN patients. Method In a pilot study, we administered MPH to 2 patients with BN and cluster B traits and found beneficial effects. These patients had not responded to adequate trials of psychotherapy and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Results MPH treatment was effective. Both Patients had decreased binging and purging. Discussion MPH may be useful for bulimics with cluster B personality disorder who respond poorly to conventional treatment. Further studies of MPH administration may be worthwhile. Due to the potential risks, however, clinical treatment with this agent is not recommended at this time. © 1999 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 25: 233–237, 1999.