Melbourne researchers lead two groundbreaking anorexia clinical trials

Australian researchers are leading two groundbreaking trial treatments for anorexia nervosa in Melbourne.

Both trials will be led by researchers from HER Centre Australia's Li Transformative Hub for Research Into Eating Disorders (Li-THRED) at Monash University and Alfred Health.

In a randomised Australian-first trial, patients will be given transdermal estrogen patches to investigate the effects the hormone has on symptoms of anorexia.

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The trial will focus on 50 women aged 16 and over with anorexia, with researchers administering 50mcg of estradiol, the body's most potent form of estrogen, through patches.

Placebo patches will also be used to compare the results.

Consultant psychiatrist and Li-THRED team researcher Dr Romi Goldschlager said fluctuations in estrogen have previously been linked to anorexia symptoms.

"It's more about the fluctuations and changes rather than underlying deficiency – steady and constant rather than peaks and troughs," Goldschlager said.

"My hope is that this hormone therapy will be successful in treating anorexia nervosa, a really severe illness that currently doesn't have a treatment."

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In a second trial, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) will be used to apply electromagnetic stimulation to a brain network found by researchers that appears to cause anorexia.

Lead investigator, Dr Leo Chen from Monash University and Alfred Health, said his team will identify the network in each participant's MRI scans to find a target for the TMS treatment.

"With our colleagues at Brigham and Harvard, we have identified a causal brain network for anorexia behaviours," Chen said.

"We can see this network on each individual's MRI scans and will use it to identify their personalised stimulation target.

"Our hypothesis is that, using TMS, we can facilitate healthy brain cell firing and signal transmission along this network.

"In turn, we hope to improve the psychological and behavioural challenges experienced by people living with this disorder."

Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric eating disorder that has the highest rate of mortality compared to any other psychological condition.

People with the disorder are estimated to have a death rate four times higher than those with clinical depression.

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Butterfly Foundation spokesperson Sarah Cox said the eating disorder charity supports the clinical trials.

"It is a very complex and severe mental illness - finding the right treatment can be difficult," Cox said.

"We know that not every treatment suits every person and so having more evidence-based options into the pool of options can just be really valuable for people.

"We also know particularly with anorexia and other eating disorders there is a really strong biological component and ... so a treatment like this that directly targets the physiological and biological aspects I think can hold a lot of hope."