NCT05865912

A Feasibility Study of Mindfulness Training Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in Adults With Overweight and Obesity

A Feasibility Study of Mindfulness Training Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in Adults With Overweight and Obesity.

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 52 (actual)
• Sponsor: King's College London · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years – 60 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study will investigate the feasibility of combining an app-based Mindfulness training (MT) with at-home administered transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in adults with overweight or obesity and assess whether MT with tDCS may improve weight-related behaviours in this population. Specifically, the study will assess whether MT+ active tDCS, as opposed to MT+ sham tDCS or waiting list control, reduces high calorie food craving and consumption. Findings will inform the development of a future large-scale randomised controlled trial. The trial will be conducted in the UK.

Detailed description

A randomised controlled feasibility trial with three parallel arms: \[MT + real tDCS\] vs \[MT + sham tDCS\] vs \[Waiting list control group\].

Conditions

• Adults With Overweight and Obesity

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
COMBINATION_PRODUCT	Mindfulness training + real tDCS	The MT is an established app-based programme delivered by Headspace®. During MT, participants complete guided meditation sessions which focus on mindful eating and on coping with cravings. Each MT session lasts 15 min. Participants in the MT+ real tDCS and MT+ sham tDCS groups will be given instructions to practice daily mindfulness for 3 weeks. During 10 of these sessions, MT and real/sham tDCS will be delivered concurrently. TDCS: During tDCS, a constant weak direct current is applied via electrodes (anode and cathode) placed on the scalp. In this study, the anode will be placed over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and the cathode will be placed over the left dlPFC. In the real tDCS condition, stimulation will be delivered at a constant current of 2 mA with a 10 second fade in/fade out for 20 minutes. In sham tDCS, the stimulator will deliver 60 seconds of active stimulation at the start ("ramping up") and end ("ramping down") of the 20 minute period.
COMBINATION_PRODUCT	Mindfulness training + sham tDCS	Mindfulness training + sham tDCS

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-10-17
• Primary completion: 2025-02-19
• Completion: 2025-02-19
• First posted: 2023-05-19
• Last updated: 2025-07-28

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United Kingdom