The Effectiveness of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in Decreasing Food Cravings

NCT01030289 | Completed Results

• 1 other identifier: Borckardt_19429
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 19
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in decreasing food cravings. Specifically, this study will determine whether healthy subjects will report decreased food craving following a single 20-minute session of tDCS (compared to sham tDCS) delivered during and immediately following the exposure to food stimuli.

Conditions

Craving

Keywords

food cravings

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Food Cravings

  Twenty-four images of food were presented in random order using a custom developed computer program. While viewing the food images, participants used a computerized visual analog scale to rate how much they would like to eat each food right now if it were actually available to them, how much they liked the food, and how much would they be able to resist tasting the food if it were in front of them. They viewed the pictures and rated before treatment and after real tDCS and Sham tDCS. The scale ranged from 0 (no food cravings) to 100 (extreme food cravings). The before treatment after treatment food craving ratings were used to calculate percent change.

  before treatment, after treatment

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Cravings for Sweet Foods

  before treatment, after treatment

• Cravings for Carbohydrate Foods

  before treatment, during treatment, after treatment

• Inability to Resist Food and tDCS Condition

  before treatment, during treatment, after treatment

• Food Ingested and tDCS Condition

  After treatment

• Confidence Ratings in Guessing of Treatment Condition

  After treatment

Study Arms (4)

real tDCS First Visit

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

On the First Visit, A single 20-minute tDCS session will be conducted using 2.0mA current. Using the international 10-20 EEG system, the anode will be placed over F4, which corresponds to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and the cathode will be placed over F3, which corresponds to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Electrodes will be standard sponge electrodes soaked In a sterile solution of .9% sodium chloride insulated by a latex casing.

Device: real tDCS

sham tDCS First Visit

SHAM COMPARATOR

On the First Visit, For sham tDCS, the device will be turned on for 30 seconds and then turned off for the duration of the 20-minute session.

Device: sham tDCS

real tDCS Second Visit

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participant returns for the second visit 48-72 hours after completing the first visit. A single 20-minute tDCS session will be conducted using 2.0mA current. Using the international 10-20 EEG system, the anode will be placed over F4, which corresponds to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and the cathode will be placed over F3, which corresponds to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Electrodes will be standard sponge electrodes soaked In a sterile solution of .9% sodium chloride insulated by a latex casing.

Device: real tDCS

sham tDCS Second Visit

SHAM COMPARATOR

Participant returns for the second visit 48-72 hours after completing the first visit. For sham tDCS, the device will be turned on for 30 seconds and then turned off for the duration of the 20-minute session.

Device: sham tDCS

Interventions

real tDCS DEVICE

transcranial direct current stimulation

real tDCS First Visit; real tDCS Second Visit

sham tDCS DEVICE

transcranial direct current stimulation

sham tDCS First Visit; sham tDCS Second Visit

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 21 Years - 70 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• years of age

You may not qualify if:

• pregnant
• history of seizures or epilepsy
• family history or seizures
• history of eating disorder
• history of depression
• taking medications that have been shown to lower seizure threshold
• metal implanted above the waist
• history of autoimmune or endocrine disorders
• diabetes
• allergy to latex
• allergy to peanuts
• brain tumors or lesions

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Medical University of South Carolina: lead

Study Sites (1)

Brain Stimulation Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry

Charleston, South Carolina, 29425, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Goldman RL, Borckardt JJ, Frohman HA, O'Neil PM, Madan A, Campbell LK, Budak A, George MS. Prefrontal cortex transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) temporarily reduces food cravings and increases the self-reported ability to resist food in adults with frequent food craving. Appetite. 2011 Jun;56(3):741-6. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2011.02.013. Epub 2011 Feb 23.

  PMID: 21352881 BACKGROUND

Related Links

• Link to Published Results

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Jeffrey Borckardt, Ph.D
• Organization: Medical University of South Carolina

borckard@musc.edu

843-792-3295

Study Officials

• Rachel Goldman, MA

  Medical University of South Carolina

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 9, 2009
• First Posted: December 11, 2009
• Study Start: October 1, 2009
• Primary Completion: November 1, 2010
• Study Completion: November 1, 2010
• Last Updated: June 20, 2018
• Results First Posted: June 20, 2018

Record last verified: 2018-06

Locations

US (1)