MentalHealthDaily

Naltrexone Reduced Reappraisal Distress in 38-Person Threat fMRI Trial

by GLOOM

Photoreal illustration of brain with vmPFC, amygdala, and threat-processing circuitry highlighted under pharmacological challenge.

The endogenous opioid system has been a candidate target for novel anxiety treatments, but a 2026 placebo-controlled crossover fMRI study in 38 healthy volunteers ran opposite the hypothesis: instead of increasing threat-related distress and amygdala reactivity, 50 mg oral naltrexone reduced subjective distress during cognitive reappraisal (p = 0.044, d = 0.57) and shifted ventromedial …

Naltrexone/Bupropion Reduced Food Intake in Binge-Eating Lab Study

by GLOOM

Photoreal illustration of brain reward circuitry overlaid on imagery of palatable food, conveying pharmacological reduction of consummatory reward.

Lisdexamfetamine remains the only FDA-approved medication for binge-eating disorder — a serious condition affecting roughly 1.2% of adults. A 2026 human laboratory study by McKee and colleagues tests whether naltrexone/bupropion, already approved for obesity, reduces the food-reward mechanisms that drive binge episodes.1 Research Highlights Binge-eating disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder in the …