Sending electric shocks deep into the brain could be a powerful treatment for anorexia, a study suggests. Researchers found “deep brain stimulation” could rewire the part of the brain that drives chronic anorexia. A small pilot study in 16 seriously ill women resulted in a 25 percent weight increase within 12 months, along with significant reductions in depression and anxiety. Some 75,000 people in the UK suffer with anorexia each year, the vast majority of them teenage girls. Although conventional treatments such as counselling and therapy can be effective, patients often relapse and for some they simply do not work. The new study, published in the Lancet Psychiatry medical journal, involved women whose lives were threatened by their condition. Each of the women had suffered with anorexia for at least nine years and all other treatments had failed. In one case, a 39-year-old woman agreed to undergo the procedure after an incredible three decades with the eating disorder, which first struck her at the age of 10. The procedure involved inserting electrodes into the subcallosal cingulate – a region deep within the brain which drives anorexia. For 12 months after they were implanted, the electrodes sent 10,000 shocks a second, at 6.5 volts each, deep into the brain. The technique, which is already used to control the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, was shown to alter the brain circuits which interact with serotonin, the chemical responsible for ideas of ‘reward’ and happiness. This part of the brain is crucial for maintaining mood balance, limiting depression and restricting impulsiveness – all issues at the heart of anorexia. The women in the study, who had an average age of 34, had an average body mass index (BMI) of 13.8 when they underwent the procedure. Two women asked for the electrodes to be removed before the end of the 12-month monitoring period, which the researchers said was probably because they were uncomfortable with their weight gain. But of the remaining 14 patients, average BMI increased to 17.3, an increase of 25 percent. And six patients achieved a “healthy” weight – considered to be a score of 18.5 or more. Mental health symptoms also improved, with mood and anxiety symptoms reducing in five patients and depression reducing in 10 out of the 14 patients. They also reported better quality of life. Study leader Professor Andres Lozano of the University of Toronto, said, “Anorexia remains the psychiatric disorder with the highest mortality rate, and there is an urgent need to develop safe, effective, evidence-driven treatments that are informed by a growing understanding of brain circuitry. While our results show some early promise, more research will be needed before this becomes available for patients with anorexia.” Experts last night said the technique is a desperately-needed breakthrough. Dr Carrie McAdams of the University of Texas said, “After intensive treatment, nearly half of adult women with anorexia nervosa relapse within a year. This work shows how modern neuroscience can lead to a new treatment and simultaneously improve understanding of perpetuating factors in a complex, multifactorial disease.”