NCT05225233

tDCS With Cognitive Training to Reduce Impulsivity and Weight in Veterans With Obesity

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) With Cognitive Training to Reduce Impulsivity and Weight in Veterans With Obesity: A Clinical Trial

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 124 (estimated)
• Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development · Federal
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 80 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to investigate if transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can increase the effectiveness of cognitive training to reduce impulsivity in individuals with obesity, and to evaluate weight change with these individuals. The long-term goal of this research is to develop new treatment approaches for individuals with obesity.

Detailed description

Two-hundred forty individuals will be screened with the goal of consenting and enrolling up to 124 patients and 88 patients completing the study. Participants completing the study will concurrently complete a structured weight loss program. The investigators' study protocol will consist of 13 study visits including four testing days, one before (V1), one on the day of the tenth session of tDCS (V11), another test visit (V12) 6 weeks later, and a final test visit approximately 4 months after beginning stimulation (V13).

Conditions

• Obesity

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Sham Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)	Cognitive training concurrent with sham tDCS (30 seconds ramp up/ramp down at the beginning of the session)
DEVICE	Active Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)	Cognitive training concurrent with 2 mAmps of anodal stimulation applied to the left frontal cortex for 20 minutes.

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-11-23
• Primary completion: 2026-08-31
• Completion: 2026-12-31
• First posted: 2022-02-04
• Last updated: 2026-04-07

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated device study