BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT FOR ANOREXIA NERVOSA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

• Grant number: 24/07431-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Psychiatry
• Principal Investigator: Andre Russowsky Brunoni
• Grantee: Giovanna Camarotto Patah
• Host Institution: Instituto de Psiquiatria Doutor Antonio Carlos Pacheco e Silva (IPq). Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP (HCFMUSP). Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a serious mental disorder, associated with high mortality. Despite this, only nutritional and psychotherapeutic treatment is endorsed by experts, given the fragility of scientific evidence that proves theeffectiveness of other biological interventions. Objective: To evaluate, through a broad systematic review and meta-analysis, the effectiveness of biological interventions (psychotropic drugs, neuromodulation, and neurosurgery) in thetreatment of AN. Method: This project will consist of a systematic review of the PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus databases. Randomized controlled clinical trials, open clinical trials, and pre-post studies involving patients with AN, of any gender and age, that investigated the effectiveness of psychotropic drugs, neuromodulation strategies, or neurosurgery will be analyzed. The primary outcome will be the improvement of the psychological symptoms of AN, and the secondary outcomes will be the improvement of other psychological symptoms (such as depressive, anxious, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms) in patients with AN and weight regain (change in weight or BMI). Effect size measures will be Hedges'd for continuous variables and odds ratio (OR) and number needed to treat (NNT) for categorical outcomes. The protocol for this systematic review will be registered in PROSPERO. Conclusion: This study seeks to support the use of biological interventions in the treatment of AN or guide, through the mapping of preliminary scientific evidence, and the conduct of future clinical trials.