NCT02683902

The Effect of Hypocaloric Diet Associated With tDCS on Weight Loss and Metabolic Profile

The Effect of Hypocaloric Diet Associated With tDCS on Weight Loss and Metabolic Profile: a Pilot, Double Blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Study

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 20 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 20 Years – 50 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

To compare four weeks of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) versus placebo associated with a reduced caloric diet on weight loss, glycemic control and regulators of hunger and satiety in overweight or obese subjects with different degrees of glucose tolerance, submitted to hypocaloric diet.

Detailed description

In order to assess whether tDCS treatment associated with a reduced caloric diet can improve weight loss, overweight or obese subjects will be recruited by advertisement on the web page of Porto Alegre Clinical Hospital, local newspaper and television, or referred by a doctor or nutritionist, from external to HCPA services. After screening and selection, patients will undergo a clinical, laboratory and nutritional evaluation. There will be a standard assessment protocol that includes: a complete clinical evaluation and socioeconomic status, assessment of physical activity, questionnaires of quality of life, sleep, depression and anxiety and body composition assessment. In the laboratory evaluation the biochemistry exams include an oral glucose tolerance test (OGGT 75g), a meal tolerance test (MTT), serum glucose, Cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, glycated hemoglobin and glycated albumin. The resting metabolic rate will be determine by indirect calorimetry. Besides, a 100-mm visual-analog scales will be used to measure a self-reported ratings of appetite, hunger, satiety and food craving. Patients will also be prescribed a low caloric diet and individual counseling from a dietician in order to reduce 3% of their initial weight over 4-week treatment. Moreover, they will do one tDCS session a day (active or sham stimulation as previous randomization) for 5 consecutive days, during these four weeks of treatment (20 sessions). Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive method of brain stimulation in which a small current is applied to the scalp. This technique uses a weak safety current of 2 milliampere (mA) for 20 minutes which may increase (anodal tDCS) or decrease (cathodal tDCS) cortical excitability. During all of tDCS sessions, a film with images of food that usually elicit craving will be presented and after the end of each session, visual analog scales will be applied to assess hunger, satiety and presence of food craving. Finally, attention and mood scales will be applied periodically in addition to a questionnaire of adverse effects and use of tDCS. At the end of the 4-week diet and tDCS, all patients will be submitted to the same clinical, laboratory, nutrition and feeding behavior exams applied at baseline. Finally, participants should come in 3 and 6 months after the end of the protocol for reassessment weight, body composition by bioelectrical impedance and answer questionnaires. An interim analysis will be performed when 12 patients will be included.

Conditions

• Prediabetes
• Obesity
• Weight Loss
• Diabetes
• Overweight

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Active tDCS	The anode electrode will be placed over F4 position and the cathode electrode over F3, right and left respectively (using EEG 10/20 system). The electric current will be ramped up until it reaches 2 milliampere (mA), and subjects will be stimulated for 20 min.
BEHAVIORAL	Hypocaloric diet	A hypocaloric dietary prescription and individual counseling from a dietician in order to reduce 3% of their initial weight over 4-week treatment.
DEVICE	Sham tDCS	The electrodes will be placed at the same positions as in active stimulation; however, the device will be turned off after 30 s of stimulation.

Timeline

• Start date: 2016-03-01
• Primary completion: 2018-05-01
• Completion: 2018-08-01
• First posted: 2016-02-17
• Last updated: 2017-11-08

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Brazil