Anorexia nervosa: review of current treatment practices.

The etiology of anorexia nervosa has defied elucidation for over 100 years and no systematic treatment has yet been developed for the illness. We have reviewed some current findings that relate to both neuroendocrinologic and psychologic defects. Review of current treatment practices reveals that a variety of approaches are used, alone or in combination. Special attention is directed to the rationale for the use of certain neuropharmacologic agents that influence eating behavior. We advocate a flexible, multimodal approach to treatment of this illness, the understanding of which is still in its early stage.