title: Pilot clinical observations between food and drug seeking derived from fifty cases attending an eating disorder clinic.
abstract: Background The reward deficiency syndrome hypothesis posits that genes are responsible for reward dependence and related behaviors. There is evidence that both bulimia and anorexia nervosa, especially in women, have been linked to a lifetime history of substance use disorder (SUD). There are difficulties in accepting food as an addiction similar to drugs; however, increasingly neuroimaging studies favor such an assertion. Case presentations We are reporting the evidence of comorbidity of eating disorders with SUD found within these case presentations. We show 50 case reports derived from two independent treatment centers in Florida that suggest the commonality between food and drug addictions. In an attempt to provide data from this cohort, many participants did not adequately respond to our questionnaire. Discussion We propose that dopamine agonist therapy may be of common benefit. Failure in the past may reside in too powerful D2 agonist activity leading to D2 receptor downregulation, while the new methodology may cause a reduction of "dopamine resistance" by inducing "dopamine homeostasis." While this is not a definitive study, it does provide some additional clinical evidence that these two addictions are not mutually exclusive. Conclusion Certainly, it is our position that there is an overlap between food- and drug-seeking behavior. We propose that the studies focused on an effort to produce natural activation of dopaminergic reward circuitry as a type of common therapy may certainly be reasonable. Additional research is warranted.
authors: 1 A New Beginning PA , North Miami Beach, FL, USA.|2 Ocean Breeze Recovery Program , Pompano Beach, FL, USA.|3 National Institute of Holistic Addiction Studies , North Miami Beach, FL, USA.
authors: Harriet
authors: H
authors: Beitscher-Campbell
authors: 3 National Institute of Holistic Addiction Studies , North Miami Beach, FL, USA.|4 Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, College of Medicine , Gainesville, FL, USA.|5 Division of Neuroscience-based Therapy, Summit Estate Recovery Center , Las Gatos, CA, USA.|6 Department of Psychiatry, The University of Vermont , Burlington, VT, USA.|7 Department of Neurological Research, PATH Foundation NY , New York, NY, USA.|8 Dominion Diagnostics, LLC , North Kingstown, RI, USA.|9 IGENE, LLC , Austin, TX, USA.|11 Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of USC , Los Angeles, CA, USA.|13 Division of Neuroscience Research and Addiction Therapy, The Shores Treatment and Recovery , Port Saint Lucie, FL, USA.|14 Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University , Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Kenneth
authors: K
authors: Blum
authors: 4 Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, College of Medicine , Gainesville, FL, USA.
authors: Marcelo
authors: M
authors: Febo
authors: 9 IGENE, LLC , Austin, TX, USA.
authors: Margaret A
authors: MA
authors: Madigan
authors: 3 National Institute of Holistic Addiction Studies , North Miami Beach, FL, USA.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Giordano
authors: 10 Department of Psychiatry and Laboratory for Radiochemistry, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors: Rajendra D
authors: RD
authors: Badgaiyan
authors: 7 Department of Neurological Research, PATH Foundation NY , New York, NY, USA.
authors: Eric R
authors: ER
authors: Braverman
authors: 7 Department of Neurological Research, PATH Foundation NY , New York, NY, USA.
authors: Kristina
authors: K
authors: Dushaj
authors: 7 Department of Neurological Research, PATH Foundation NY , New York, NY, USA.
authors: Mona
authors: M
authors: Li
authors: 11 Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of USC , Los Angeles, CA, USA.|12 Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine , St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors: Mark S
authors: MS
authors: Gold
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058999:Drug-Seeking Behavior; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018491:Dopamine Agonists
keywords: commonality; dopamine pathways; eating disorder; food and drug addictions; reward deficiency syndrome