The Fecal Microbiome Transplant (FMT) Study for Anorexia Nervosa

Condition(s) studied

Study summary

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a severe, debilitating and potentially life threatening illness that is difficult to treat. A cardinal symptom of AN is the mistaken belief on the part of the individuals that they are overweight and must continue to restrict intake. This fixed false belief is a detrimental factor to recovery. It is known that AN involves disturbance in the gut microbiome (GM; the microbes that live in the lower intestinal tract). The GM also affects how one thinks and makes food choices - there appears to be a direct link between the GM and how the brain functions. This connection is thought to occur through chemical processes that convey information from the gut to the brain. It is known that fecal microbiome transplant (FMT) has been useful in treating several illnesses, including several mental illnesses. The investigators intend to deliver FMT to individuals with AN to determine the extent to which this modifies their GM, their biochemistry, their thinking processes and their moods and emotions. The investigators believe this will illuminate important aspects of AN that keep the illness in place, and that this will uncover useful approaches to better treat it.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Feasibility of Intervention — 1, 3, and 12 weeks post intervention
  Success will be evaluated using recruitment and retention rates, adverse event rates, and missing data rates. Scores at 75% or above will indicate high tolerability for this population that is in desperate need of additional intervention options.

Trial sites (1)

More London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute OR Lawson Research Institute of St. Joseph's trials in Canada

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