Carlos Amo Usanos1, Pedro L Valenzuela2, Pedro de la Villa2,3, Santiago Milla Navarro2, Andresa Evelem de Melo Aroeira2, Ignacio Amo Usanos1, Liliana Martínez Cancio4, Luis Cuesta Villa1, Hetal Shah5, Greta Magerowski6, Miguel Alonso-Alonso7. 1. Clinical Neurophysiology, Centro Médico Complutense. Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain. 2. Department of Systems Biology. School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain. 3. IRYCIS Research Institute, Madrid, Spain. 4. Primary Care Unit, Centro Médico Complutense. Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain. 5. Section on Genetics and Epidemiology, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. 6. Laboratory of Bariatric and Nutritional Neuroscience, Center for the Study of Nutrition Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. 7. Laboratory of Bariatric and Nutritional Neuroscience, Center for the Study of Nutrition Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. migalonsoalonso@alumni.harvard.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: High body mass index (BMI) is associated with neurocognitive impairments that contribute to overeating and interfere with weight loss efforts. Overweight and obesity at midlife can accelerate neurodegenerative changes and increase the risk of late-life dementia. Noninvasive neuromodulation represents a novel, affordable and scalable approach to improve neurocognitive function in this context. The purpose of this proof-of-concept study was to examine whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) aimed at enhancing prefrontal cortex activity could enhance weight loss, in combination with a hypocaloric diet, and study underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Overall, 38 women with BMI 25-35 kg/m2 underwent a 4 week randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled, and parallel-design intervention, during which they received eight sessions of tDCS (n = 18 sham, n = 20 active) in combination with a diet (caloric goal of 20 kcal/kg/day). We evaluated longitudinal changes in body weight, appetite and food craving. In addition, we examined the contribution of cognitive-executive processes via food-modified computerized tasks. RESULTS: We found that the active group had more reduction in body weight than the sham group throughout the study (p = 0.020) and significant weekly weight loss. At 4 weeks, the active group lost 2.32% of initial body weight (sham: 1.29%). Components of subjective appetite and food craving showed a trend toward more reduction in the active group. These changes were paralleled by significant improvements in task performance in the active group, particularly in a dual task that required inhibitory control and working memory (p = 0.007-0.031). Improvement in inhibitory control performance predicted reduction in lack of control overeating, explaining 43.5% of its variance at the end of the study (p = 0.003). No significant adverse effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide proof-of-concept validation of prefrontal-targeted tDCS, combined with a diet, in midlife women with excess body weight, paving the way for larger studies evaluating clinical efficacy and long-term effects of this intervention.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: High body mass index (BMI) is associated with neurocognitive impairments that contribute to overeating and interfere with weight loss efforts. Overweight and obesity at midlife can accelerate neurodegenerative changes and increase the risk of late-life dementia. Noninvasive neuromodulation represents a novel, affordable and scalable approach to improve neurocognitive function in this context. The purpose of this proof-of-concept study was to examine whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) aimed at enhancing prefrontal cortex activity could enhance weight loss, in combination with a hypocaloric diet, and study underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Overall, 38 women with BMI 25-35 kg/m2 underwent a 4 week randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled, and parallel-design intervention, during which they received eight sessions of tDCS (n = 18 sham, n = 20 active) in combination with a diet (caloric goal of 20 kcal/kg/day). We evaluated longitudinal changes in body weight, appetite and food craving. In addition, we examined the contribution of cognitive-executive processes via food-modified computerized tasks. RESULTS: We found that the active group had more reduction in body weight than the sham group throughout the study (p = 0.020) and significant weekly weight loss. At 4 weeks, the active group lost 2.32% of initial body weight (sham: 1.29%). Components of subjective appetite and food craving showed a trend toward more reduction in the active group. These changes were paralleled by significant improvements in task performance in the active group, particularly in a dual task that required inhibitory control and working memory (p = 0.007-0.031). Improvement in inhibitory control performance predicted reduction in lack of control overeating, explaining 43.5% of its variance at the end of the study (p = 0.003). No significant adverse effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide proof-of-concept validation of prefrontal-targeted tDCS, combined with a diet, in midlife women with excess body weight, paving the way for larger studies evaluating clinical efficacy and long-term effects of this intervention.
Authors: D Val-Laillet; E Aarts; B Weber; M Ferrari; V Quaresima; L E Stoeckel; M Alonso-Alonso; M Audette; C H Malbert; E Stice Journal: Neuroimage Clin Date: 2015-03-24 Impact factor: 4.881
Authors: Miriam E Bocarsly; Maria Fasolino; Gary A Kane; Elizabeth A LaMarca; Gregory W Kirschen; Ilia N Karatsoreos; Bruce S McEwen; Elizabeth Gould Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2015-12-07 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: Vivian Marques Miguel Suen; Miguel Alonso-Alonso; Priscila Giacomo Fassini; Sai Krupa Das; Greta Magerowski; Júlio Sérgio Marchini; Wilson Araújo da Silva Junior; Isabela Rozatte da Silva; Rafaella de Souza Ribeiro Salgueiro; Cássia Dias Machado Journal: Int J Obes (Lond) Date: 2020-02-19 Impact factor: 5.095