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Reducing naltrexone resistant hyperphagia using laser acupuncture to
increase endogenous opiates
Read A, Beaty P, Corner J, Sommerville Ville C
Knowle Hospital, Fareham, Hants, UK.
Brain Inj 1996 Dec;10(12):911-9
A 28-year-old woman with acquired brain damage suffered subsequent profound
mental disability and an intense hyperphagic syndrome complete with
life-threatening pica. She was the single subject of two consecutive
experiments. In the first, Naltrexone, an orally administered opiate
blocker, was given to reduce hyperphagia and distress, but was associated
with even greater urgency when eating meals and a manifest increase in
distress. While distress reduced to premedication levels on withdrawal of
treatment, urgency of eating did not reduce so quickly. In the second
experiment a laser acupuncture procedure was used at 2.5 Hz and 10 Hz for 10
days each with an intervening 10-day placebo condition to increase the
availability of the subject's endogenous opiates, and thus hopefully produce
opposite effects to the first experiment and effect a positive treatment.
The 10 Hz condition produced a significant but transient reduction in pica
measured by attempts at pica on a supervised walk shortly after each
treatment. The subject was also easier to manage on walks, and appeared
happier. Further studies using physical exercise or acupressure to achieve
similar or better results are discussed.
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