NCT06874309

Brief Summary

Obesity is a chronic metabolic condition characterized by excessive accumulation of body fat, which triggers physiological mechanisms that increase the risk of a wide range of health problems. The most effective treatment for severe obesity is metabolic-bariatric surgery, which can lead to a 15-20% weight reduction, significantly lowering the risks of illness and death. However, the success of this surgery can be threatened by poor eating habits after the procedure. The main goal of this study is to enhance the long-term effectiveness of bariatric surgery by combining it with non-invasive brain stimulation (tDCS) targeting inhibitory centers before the operation. Additionally, the investigators aim to comprehensively monitor patients before and after surgery, focusing on investigating changes in brain function associated with the achieved weight loss.

Trial Health

77
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
65

participants targeted

Target at P50-P75 for not_applicable obesity

Timeline
20mo left

Started May 2024

Typical duration for not_applicable obesity

Geographic Reach
1 country

2 active sites

Status
recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

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Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress55%
May 2024Dec 2027

Study Start

First participant enrolled

May 1, 2024

Completed
8 months until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

December 19, 2024

Completed
3 months until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

March 13, 2025

Completed
1.8 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 31, 2026

Expected
1 year until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 31, 2027

Last Updated

March 13, 2025

Status Verified

March 1, 2025

Enrollment Period

2.7 years

First QC Date

December 19, 2024

Last Update Submit

March 11, 2025

Conditions

Keywords

bariatric surgeryobesitybrain stimulationtDCScognitive controlimpulsivityeating behavior

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Cognitive impulse control measured via food-modified Go/No-Go task

    The cognitive task is used to assess response inhibition, particularly in the context of food-related stimuli. It is a variation of the standard Go/No-Go task, where participants must respond quickly to "Go" stimuli (low-calorie item) while withholding responses to "No-Go" stimuli (high-calorie item). Researchers analyze reaction times, accuracy, and commission errors (responses to No-Go stimuli) to evaluate impulse control.

    Baseline, 1 month and 6 months.

Secondary Outcomes (4)

  • Brain activation related to cognitive control assessed using a multichannel EEG system

    Baseline, 1 month and 6 months.

  • Body bioimpedance analysis measured with the InBody 720 device

    Baseline, 1 month and 6 months.

  • Food craving of patients assessed using Food Craving Questionnaire - Trait

    Baseline, 1 month and 6 months.

  • Eating habits of patients assessed using the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire

    Baseline, 1 month and 6 months.

Study Arms (2)

active tDCS stimulation

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this arm will be stimulated for 4 weeks during weekdays leading to 20 sessions of tDCS over lDLPFC.

Device: home-based tDCS stimulationProcedure: Bariatric surgery

sham tDCS stimulation

SHAM COMPARATOR

In this arm, sham stimulation will be applied for 4 weeks during weekdays leading to 20 sessions of tDCS over lDLPFC.

Device: home-based tDCS stimulation - shamProcedure: Bariatric surgery

Interventions

stimulation parameters: 20 sessions of tDCS over lDLPFC (anode over F3, based on the 10:20 system, and cathode over the right supraorbital area), 2 mA intensity, 20 min duration (30 s fade in/fade out)

active tDCS stimulation

20 sessions of tDCS over lDLPFC (anode over F3, based on the 10:20 system, and cathode over the right supraorbital area), the electric current will flow for only 15 s, with similar fade in/fade out, at the beginning and at the end of 20 min, to mimic the subjective sensations that occur during active tDCS.

sham tDCS stimulation

The operation itself is not a study-related procedure and thus the indicated patients would undergo the surgery regardless of their participation in this study. The operating surgeons will perform either Roux-en-Y or gastric sleeve resection.

active tDCS stimulationsham tDCS stimulation

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 65 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Subjects with severe or morbid obesity (determined by BMI \> 35 or 40 kg/m2, respectively) eligible for BS treatment in compliance with the current guidelines
  • Subjects who meet reduced control over eating behavior (disinhibition) criteria in the Eating Habits Questionnaire

You may not qualify if:

  • Subjects unable to provide informed consent and those unable to understand and cooperate with study-related procedures (based on the physician's discretion)
  • Subjects with a personal history of ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation
  • Subjects who have already undergone BS treatment in the past
  • Pregnant subjects or subjects that plan on becoming pregnant during the study.
  • Subjects deemed unsuitable for the study based on expert evaluation (e.g., by a physician or neuropsychologist) will be excluded.
  • Subjects with dreadlocks (problematic for the EEG)

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (2)

Saint Anne's University Hospital

Brno, Czechia, 60200, Czechia

RECRUITING

Central European Institute of Technology Masaryk University

Brno, Czechia, 62500, Czechia

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

ObesityImpulsive BehaviorFeeding Behavior

Interventions

Bariatric Surgery

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

OverweightOvernutritionNutrition DisordersNutritional and Metabolic DiseasesBody WeightSigns and SymptomsPathological Conditions, Signs and SymptomsBehaviorBehavior, Animal

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

BariatricsObesity ManagementTherapeuticsSurgical Procedures, Operative

Study Officials

  • Irena Rektorová, Prof.

    Cetral European Institute of Technology

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Petra Holštajn Zemánková, Dr.

CONTACT

Sylvie Kropáčová, Dr.

CONTACT

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE CARE
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

December 19, 2024

First Posted

March 13, 2025

Study Start

May 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2027

Last Updated

March 13, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-03

Locations