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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02362633

Effect of Long-term Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Appetite Control Related Brain Regions

The purpose of this study is to investigate the long-term effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on appetite control related brain regions.

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Key information

Conditions

Obesity Body Weight Nutrition Disorders Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Overnutrition Overweight Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

20 year–80 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Chungbuk National University

Cheongju-si, North Chungcheong, 361-711, South Korea

About this study

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is emerging tool for brain modulation in a variety of clinical conditions. In addition, recent neuroimaging studies suggest that modifying the activity of brain circuits involved in eating behavior could provide therapeutic benefits in obesity.

The investigators aim to assess whether long-term modulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLFPC) using tDCS, modifies behavioral response and brain activity while watching visually presented food cues and taste cues in obese subjects.

Subjects will be randomly divided into sham and real tDCS arms. Subjects will receive sham or real tDCS ten times. Subjects will be investigated before and after sham or real tDCS interventions. Subjects will perform functional MRI experiments with visual and taste food cues. Questionnaire with behavior measures, body compositions, blood tests will be performed.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • BMI > 26 kg/m2

Exclusion criteria

  • History of brain trauma, epilepsy, or other neurological problems

Treatment and study plan

real tDCS

Device

For active tDCS, a 2 mA current will be delivered for 20 minutes with 20 second up and down ramp times. The anodal electrode will be placed on the right DLPFC (F4; 10-20 EEG system), and the cathode electrode will be placed on the left DLPFC (F4;10-20 EEG system), which is known to be related to cognitive function. The electrodes used for tDCS are saline-soaked sponges (25 cm2).

Sham tDCS

Device

Sham tDCS will be delivered for 20 minutes. The anodal electrode will be placed on the right DLPFC (F4; 10-20 EEG system), and the cathode electrode will be placed on the left DLPFC (F4;10-20 EEG system), which is known to be related to cognitive function. The electrodes used for tDCS are saline-soaked sponges (25 cm2).

Primary outcomes

  1. Regional brain activity measured by blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal of functional MRI

    Time frame: Day 14 (After ten interventions)

    3T MR scanner with Echo Planar Imaging(EPI) capability(Magnetom, Siemens Medical System)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Behavior outcomes on the visual analog scale

    Time frame: Day 14 (After ten interventions)

    Hunger related visual analogue scale (VAS) - 8 items (Flint et al., 2000) Mood related visual analogue scale (VAS) - 16 items (Fregni et al., 2008)

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Chungbuk National University

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2015
Primary completion
2015
First posted
Feb 13, 2015
Registry last updated
Feb 4, 2016

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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