CNS Drugs 2009; 23 (2): 139-156 REVIEW ARTICLE 1172-7047/09/0002-0139/$49.95/0 ª 2009 Adis Data Information BV
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CNS Drugs 2009; 23 (2): 139-156 REVIEW ARTICLE 1172-7047/09/0002-0139/$49.95/0 ª 2009 Adis Data Information BV. All rights reserved. Role of Antiepileptic Drugs in the Management of Eating Disorders Susan L. McElroy,1,2 Anna I. Guerdjikova,1,2 Brian Martens,1,2 Paul E. Keck Jr,1,2 Harrison G. Pope3,4 and James I. Hudson3,4 1 Lindner Center of HOPE, Mason, Ohio, USA 2 Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA 3 Biological Psychiatry Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA 4 Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Contents Abstract. 139 1. Overview of Eating Disorders . 140 2. Rationale for Using Antiepileptic Drugs (AEDs) in Eating Disorders. 142 3. First-Generation AEDs in the Treatment of Eating Disorders . 143 3.1 Phenytoin . 143 3.2 Carbamazepine. 144 3.3 Valproate . 145 3.4 Other Agents . 145 4. Second-Generation AEDs in the Treatment of Eating Disorders. 145 4.1 Topiramate . 145 4.2 Zonisamide . 148 4.3 Other Agents . 149 5. Conclusion . 149 Abstract Growing evidence suggests that antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) may be useful in managing some eating disorders. In the present paper, we provide a brief overview of eating disorders, the rationale for using AEDs in the treatment of these disorders and review the data supporting the effectiveness of specific AEDs in the treatment of patients with eating disorders. In addi- tion, the potential mechanisms of action of AEDs in these conditions are discussed. Of the available AEDs, topiramate appears to have the broadest spectrum of action as an anti-binge eating, anti-purging and weight loss agent, as demonstrated in two placebo-controlled studies in bulimia nervosa and three placebo-controlled studies in binge-eating disorder (BED) with obesity. Topiramate may also have beneficial effects in night-eating syndrome and sleep-related eating disorder, but controlled trials in these conditions are needed. The results of one small controlled study suggest that zonisamide may have efficacy in BED with obesity. However, both topiramate and zonisamide are associated with adverse effect profiles that may limit their use 140 McElroy et al. in patients with eating disorders. Phenytoin may be effective in some patients with compulsive binge eating, particularly if co-morbid EEG abnormalities are present, but available data are too varied to allow definitive conclusions to be made. Carbamazepine and valproate may be effective in treating patients with bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa when they are used to treat an associated psychiatric (e.g. mood) or neurological (e.g. seizure) dis- order; otherwise, both agents, particularly valproate, are associated with weight gain. In conclusion, AEDs have an emerging role in the management of some eating disorders. Eating disorders are important public health 1. Overview of Eating Disorders problems,[1-4] but a substantial number of afflic- ted patients do not respond adequately to the Eating disorder nosology is an evolving available treatments.[5,6] Growing evidence sug- field.[2,10,11] The two major psychiatric classifica- gests that antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), com- tion systems, namely the International Statistical pounds marketed primarily to prevent epileptic Classification of Diseases, 10th edition (ICD- seizures, may be useful in managing some of these 10)[12] and DSM-IV,[13] each list eating disorders conditions.[7-9] In the present paper, we provide a under two broad categories, one for eating dis- brief overview of eating disorders, the rationale orders only (see table I) and the other for condi- for using AEDs in the treatment of these dis- tions with onset usually in infancy, childhood orders, review the data supporting the effective- and/or adolescence (see table II). Both ICD-10 ness of specific AEDs in treating patients with eating disorders and discuss the potential mecha- Table I. Eating disorders as defined in the International Statistical nisms of action of AEDs in these conditions. We Classification of Diseases, 10th edition (ICD-10)[12] and the DSM-IV[13] conclude that AEDs have an emerging role in the ICD-10 DSM-IV management of some eating disorders. Anorexia nervosa Anorexia nervosa To explore the role of AEDs in eating dis- Atypical anorexia nervosa Bulimia nervosa orders, we surveyed the literature for available Bulimia nervosa Eating disorder NOSa first- and second-generation AEDs in the treat- Atypical bulimia nervosab ment of all recognized and potential eating Overeating associated with other disorders. A MEDLINE search of the English psychological disturbancesc language literature from January 1966 to April Vomiting associated with other d 2008 was performed using the following terms: psychological disturbances e ‘eating disorders’, ‘anorexia nervosa’ (AN), ‘bu- Other eating disorders limia nervosa’ (BN), ‘binge eating disorder’ Eating disorder, unspecified a Includes subthreshold anorexia nervosa, subthreshold bulimia (BED), ‘eating disorder not otherwise specified’ nervosa, self-induced vomiting without binge eating, (NOS), ‘pica’, ‘rumination’, ‘night eating syn- repeatedly chewing and spitting out large amounts of food drome’ (NES), ‘sleep-related eating disorder’ and binge-eating disorder. (SRED) and ‘weight’, as well as ‘antiepileptic’, b Includes bulimia NOS and hyperorexia nervosa. ‘anticonvulsant’, ‘barbiturate’, ‘benzodiazepine’, c Includes overeating due to stressful events, such as ‘carbamazepine’, ‘clonazepam’, ‘diphenylhydan- bereavement, accident, childbirth etc., and psychogenic toin’, ‘felbamate’, ‘gabapentin’, ‘lamotrigine’, overeating. ‘levetiracetam’, ‘oxcarbazepine’, ‘phenytoin’, d Includes psychogenic vomiting. ‘pregabalin’, ‘tiagabine’, ‘topiramate’, ‘valproate’, e Includes pica in adults and psychogenic loss of appetite. ‘vigabatrin’ and ‘zonisamide’. NOS = not otherwise specified. ª 2009 Adis Data Information BV. All rights reserved. CNS Drugs 2009; 23 (2) Role of Antiepileptic Drugs in the Management of Eating Disorders 141 Table II. Eating disorders as defined in the International Statistical is reduced awareness during the nocturnal eat- Classification of Diseases, 10th edition (ICD-10)[12] and the DSM-IV,[13] ing.[3,20,21] The relationship between NES and with onset usually occurring in infancy, childhood and/or adoles- SRED is presently unclear. Although some au- cence thorities have argued that these two conditions ICD-10 DSM-IV are separate entities, others have proposed that Pica of infancy and childhood Pica NES and SRED are related along a continuum Rumination disorder of altered awareness during the nocturnal inges- Feeding disorder of infancy or [3] early childhood tions. Finally, although eating disorders re- sulting from general medical conditions and substances have been described in the literature, and DSM-IV recognize AN, BN and pica, and neither is listed as a category in the DSM-IV or define these syndromes similarly. Key defining ICD-10.[22,23] features of AN are deliberate weight loss, a fear Of note, neither obesity nor drug-induced of fatness, disturbed body image and amenor- weight gain are categorized as eating disorders in rhoea. Defining features of BN are recurrent either the ICD-10 or DSM-IV, even though both episodes of binge eating with inappropriate conditions may be associated with disturbed eat- compensatory behaviours aimed at preventing ing behaviour, including binge eating.[23-26] In weight gain. Pica is defined as the repetitive or addition, neuropsychiatric syndromes character- persistent eating of non-nutritive substances. ized by polyphagia are usually not categorized as Both classification systems also include cate- eating disorders.[27-29] Although all these condi- gories for sub-syndromal or atypical presenta- tions have been investigated in some studies as tions of AN and BN, which are categorized in the potential targets for intervention with AEDs, DSM-IV as eating disorder NOS.[14,15] Examples these topics will not be the focus of the present include AN without amenorrhoea and purging paper.[9] without binge eating. Unlike ICD-10, DSM-IV No single study has evaluated the epidemio- includes rumination disorder and BED. Rumi- logy of all potential eating disorders. However, nation is defined as the repeated regurgitation growing evidence indicates that eating disorder and re-chewing of food, and is listed under dis- NOS may be more common than BN and AN.[14] orders with onset usually in infancy, childhood or In particular, BED may be more common than adolescence, although it may occur at any age.[16] BN and AN combined, with the lifetime pre- BED is proposed to be a possible new diagnostic valence estimates of DSM-IV BED, BN and AN entity and is given as an example of eating dis- from the National Comorbidity Survey Replica- order NOS. BED is defined by recurrent, dis- tion (NCS-R) being 2.8%, 1.0% and 0.6%, re- tressing episodes of binge eating that are not spectively.[1] In addition, 4.5% of the population accompanied by regular inappropriate compen- had any lifetime binge eating, defined as binge- satory weight loss behaviours. eating episodes occurring at least twice weekly for Several other eating disorders have been pro- at least 3 months. Although it is not known posed but are not mentioned in either the ICD-10 whether prevalence rates of eating disorders are or DSM-IV. For example, NES is characterized changing over time, data from the NCS-R sug- by morning anorexia, evening hyperphagia and gest that the incidence of BN and BED has in-