Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa

Bibliographic Details
Title: Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa
Authors: Silvie Baumann, Tadeáš Mareš, Jakub Albrecht, Martin Anders, Kristýna Vochosková, Martin Hill, Josef Bulant, Anna Yamamotová, Ota Štastný, Tomáš Novák, Petra Holanová, Alena Lambertová, Hana Papežová
Source: Frontiers in Psychiatry, Vol 12 (2021)
Publisher Information: Frontiers Media S.A., 2021.
Publication Year: 2021
Collection: LCC:Psychiatry
Subject Terms: self-perception, anorexia nervosa, brain stimulation, tDCS, transcranial direct current stimulation, EDE-Q, Psychiatry, RC435-571
More Details: Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a life-threatening illness with poor treatment outcomes. Although transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a promising non-invasive brain stimulation method, its effect in patients with AN remains unclear.Objective: This study investigated changes in maladaptive eating behavior, body mass index (BMI), and depression after 10 sessions of anodal tDCS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).Methods: In this double-blind, randomized controlled trial, 43 inpatients with AN were divided to receive either active (n = 22) or sham (n = 21) tDCS over the left DLPFC (anode F3/cathode Fp2, 2 mA for 30 min). All patients filled the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZUNG), and their BMI was measured. These values were obtained repeatedly in four stages: (1) before tDCS treatment, (2) after tDCS treatment, (3) in the follow-up after 2 weeks, and (4) in the follow-up after 4 weeks.Results: Primary outcomes (EDE-Q) based on the ANOVA results do not show any between-group differences either after the active part of the study or in the follow-up. Secondary analysis reveals a reduction in some items of EDE-Q. Compared with sham tDCS, active tDCS significantly improved self-evaluation based on body shape (p < 0.05) and significantly decreased the need of excessive control over calorie intake (p < 0.05) in the 4-week follow-up. However, the results do not survive multiple comparison correction. In both sham and active groups, the BMI values improved, albeit not significantly.Conclusion: We did not observe a significant effect of tDCS over the left DLPFC on complex psychopathology and weight recovery in patients with AN. tDCS reduced the need to follow specific dietary rules and improved body image evaluation in patients with AN. Tests with a larger sample and different positions of electrodes are needed.Clinical Trial Registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03273205.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 1664-0640
Relation: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.717255/full; https://doaj.org/toc/1664-0640
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.717255
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/fcc12448f3e04f41a75987d030fcbe09
Accession Number: edsdoj.fcc12448f3e04f41a75987d030fcbe09
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:16640640
DOI:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.717255
Published in:Frontiers in Psychiatry
Language:English