Reestablishing Normal Gut-brain Interaction in Anorexia Nervose With Normal Gut Microbiota

Summary

In this pilot study 36 patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) will be randomized to either treatment with psychotherapy as usual (TAU) or TAU plus fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). The transplantation will be performed when refeeding has started. Patients randomized to TAU+FMT will choose either capsules or gastroscopy as source of FMT. One week after FMT gut microbiota will be collected and analyzed and compared with microbiota composition at baseline. The two groups are then followed during psychotherapy to assess whether it is feasible to give FMT during psychotherapy to study the effects on outcome. In addition, this pilot study is aiming at paving the way for performing larger studies to assess whether FMT improves outcome from psychotherapy when given in combination with psychotherapy in patients with AN.

Timeline

Start

2026-06-01

Primary completion

2028-11

Completion

2028-12

Publications

• Background Panah FM, Stoving RK, Sjogren M, Micali N, Maschek S, Reis KD, Mirsepasi-Lauridsen HC, Petersen AM, Nielsen DS, Helms M, Rasmussen MA, Barfod KK. Impact of a single fecal microbiome transplantation in adult women with anorexia nervosa: an open-label feasibility pilot trial. Nat Commun. 2026 Jan 14;17(1):1747. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-68455-8.
• Background Frostad S. Are the Effects of Malnutrition on the Gut Microbiota-Brain Axis the Core Pathologies of Anorexia Nervosa? Microorganisms. 2022 Jul 24;10(8):1486. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms10081486.

Drugs

Indications