NCT04692909

Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (dTMS) of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex in Food Addiction and Obesity

Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (dTMS) of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex (mPFC) in Food Addiction and Obesity

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 24 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Soroka University Medical Center · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This experiment is based on a unique technique of deep Transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) of the brain's cortex, aiming to produce weight loss in food-addicted severely obese adults.

Detailed description

The neurobiological underpinnings of food addiction in obesity point to chemical, structural and functional imbalance in the mesolimbic dopaminergic brain system. This may cause symptoms of altered reward processing, excessive cravings for hyperpalatable food and repeated self-regulation failures to control food intake in this population. Specifically, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and deeper reward-related brain regions function differentially from healthy controls and similarly to individuals with substance or behavioral addiction. Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation of the mPFC has been shown efficacious in reducing cravings and other addictive symptoms in individuals with SUD, as well as symptoms of compulsivity in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). In this study the investigators use deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) with an H-coil to safely stimulate the mPFC and deeper brain regions, in individuals with obesity and food addiction. The investigators aim to produce neuroplasticity favoring the restoration of mPFC functioning, alleviating food addiction symptoms and promoting weight loss.

Conditions

• Food Addiction
• Obesity, Morbid

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	dTMS with mPFC stimulation	dTMS with Brainsway's H7 device, stimulating the mPFC.

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-01-15
• Primary completion: 2022-12-01
• Completion: 2022-12-01
• First posted: 2021-01-05
• Last updated: 2021-01-05

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Israel