Khaberni - Weight loss injections have helped millions of people control their appetite and lose weight, thanks to their effect on the digestive system and their suppression of "hunger signals" that lead to overeating.
These injections, known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, mimic a hormone that the body secretes after eating, and slow down stomach emptying, which quickly and for a longer period induces a feeling of fullness.
Now, recent studies have uncovered how these drugs work in the brain, potentially opening the way for their use in treating other conditions, including chronic pain.
Recently, scientists discovered that one of these drugs, "Tirzepatide" (commercial name: "Mounjaro"), affects brain waves, helping to curb hunger signals. Many users of the injections report that they stop thinking excessively about food after using them.
Excessive thinking about food is a common problem, affecting about 60% of people suffering from obesity, according to an American survey study on users of "Semaglutide", presented at a conference of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.
This type of thinking is particularly prevalent among people with anorexia nervosa, who reduce their food intake out of fear of gaining weight, leading to constant preoccupation with food and dieting.
Studies have shown that "Mounjaro" slows down the brain waves known as "delta-theta" oscillations, associated with excessive thinking about food. A previous study published in Nature Medicine showed that the low-frequency electrical activity in the nucleus accumbens, a brain region that regulates drive, pleasure, and impulse control, increases before intense cravings to overeat, not just when hungry.
To understand this phenomenon, three patients suffering from severe food-related noise underwent the implantation of electrodes in the nucleus accumbens, after the failure of gastric bypass surgery, behavioral therapy, or traditional medications. They were asked to use the device when they felt the urge to eat, as well as when not, to record brain signals. Only one of the three, a 60-year-old woman, was taking "Mounjaro".
The results showed that the other participants recorded notable increases in "delta-theta" waves when exposed to food sounds, while the woman taking "Mounjaro" showed almost no increase in brain wave activity and did not suffer from episodes related to food. After five months, a slight increase in "delta-theta" waves was observed in her, indicating that the effect of "Mounjaro" is temporary.
Casey Halpern, a professor of neurosurgery at the University of Pennsylvania and the leader of the study, said these findings could help in developing new ways to treat binge eating episodes and possibly other conditions, including chronic pain, emphasizing the importance of continuing research to extend the drug's effect duration and reduce the need for surgical intervention.
Conversely, some experts cautioned against generalizing the results to all populations, like Dr. Simon Cork from Anglia Ruskin University, who described the findings as "interesting, but they relate to just one patient".
