An analysis on the role of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in cognitive and mental health disorders
Abstract Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are novel drugs approved for diabetes and obesity. They are acknowledged as a major scientific breakthrough. In addition to their metabolic effects, these medications act on other bodily systems involved in the physiopathology of various neurological and psychiatric disorders. Several stakeholders are calling for more research to investigate the repurposing potential of GLP-1RAs in cognitive and mental disorders, while others advocate for a better assessment of their safety profile from a neuropsychiatric perspective. In this Analysis, we searched for relevant literature on the effects of GLP-1RAs across a range of illnesses, gathering and describing the available pre-clinical and mechanistic (278 studies) and clinical (96 studies) evidence for cognitive disorders, substance-use disorders, psychotic disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and others. By leveraging translational insights from these data, we consider potential implications for clinical practice and propose avenues for further research.
Authors
- Ivan Koychev (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6813-8493)
- Ana Ghenciulescu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5583-8300)
- Catherine J. Harmer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1609-8335)
- Philip J. Cowen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5518-6138)
- Toby Pillinger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6074-2626)
- Rachel Upthegrove (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8204-5103)
- Riccardo De Giorgi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5984-8696)
- Amanda Adler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2797-3385)
- Maxime Taquet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8987-952X)
- Robert Ali McCutcheon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1102-2566)
- Marco Solmi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4877-7233)
- Oliwia Dziwisz
Institutions
- University of Ottawa (CA)
- Ottawa Hospital (CA)
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- John Radcliffe Hospital (GB)
- Warneford Hospital (GB)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (DE)
- University of Birmingham (GB)
- Ottawa University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Mental Health
- Published
- 2025-02-13
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-025-00390-x
- Citations
- 50
- Primary Topic
- Diabetes Treatment and Management
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 64.75
Funders
- UK Research and Innovation
- National Institute for Health and Care Research
- Medical Research Council