Trial reportObesity (Silver Spring, Md.)2015
Neuromodulation targeted to the prefrontal cortex induces changes in energy intake and weight loss in obesity.
Trial report in Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 4 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 38 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
The Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (TDCS) on Food Intake and Weight Loss
Noninvasive Neuromodulation of the Prefrontal Cortex in Subjects With Obesity: a Proof-of-concept Study
Neuromodulation With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to Control Excess Weight
Pilot Study of an Intervention Involving Cognitive Training and Transcranial Direct-current Stimulation (tDCS) in Morbidly Obese Subjects
Who cites it
38 citing papers in PubMed, 96 citations in OpenAlex.
- Reduced plasma interleukin-6 concentration after transcranial direct current stimulation to the prefrontal cortex.Behavioural brain research · 2024Trial
- Association of Changes in Neural Targets and Dietary Outcomes among Patients with Comorbid Obesity and Depression: Post hoc Analysis of ENGAGE-2 Mechanistic Clinical Trial.The Journal of nutrition · 2023Trial
- Noninvasive neuromodulation of the prefrontal cortex in young women with obesity: a randomized clinical trial.International journal of obesity (2005) · 2020Trial
- Neuromodulation of the prefrontal cortex facilitates diet-induced weight loss in midlife women: a randomized, proof-of-concept clinical trial.International journal of obesity (2005) · 2020Trial
- Neuromodulation directed at the prefrontal cortex of subjects with obesity reduces snack food intake and hunger in a randomized trial.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2017Trial
- Trial
- A feasibility study of the effects of concurrent transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on mindfulness training in adults living with overweight or obesity: the MINDED trial protocol.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2026Article
- The Interplay Between Psychological and Neurobiological Predictors of Weight Regain: A Narrative Review.Nutrients · 2025Review
- Neuromodulation of Eating Disorders: A Review of Underlying Neural Network Activity and Neuromodulatory Treatments.Brain sciences · 2024Review
- Central Regulation of Eating Behaviors in Humans: Evidence from Functional Neuroimaging Studies.Nutrients · 2023Review
- The Neurobiology of Eating Behavior in Obesity: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targets: A Report from the 23rd Annual Harvard Nutrition Obesity Symposium.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2023Article
- Effects of aerobic exercise training in oxidative metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis markers on prefrontal cortex in obese mice.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2022Article
- Neurobiological regulation of eating behavior: Evidence based on non-invasive brain stimulation.Reviews in endocrine & metabolic disorders · 2022Review
- The effects of prefrontal vs. parietal cortex transcranial direct current stimulation on craving, inhibition, and measures of self-esteem.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2022Article
- The effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on food craving and food intake in individuals affected by obesity and overweight: a mini review of the magnitude of the effects.AIMS neuroscience · 2022Review
- Weight Status Modulated Brain Regional Homogeneity in Long-Term Male Smokers.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Article
- Efficacy and acceptability of noninvasive brain stimulation interventions for weight reduction in obesity: a pilot network meta-analysis.International journal of obesity (2005) · 2021Article
- Modeling interactions between brain function, diet adherence behaviors, and weight loss success.Obesity science & practice · 2020Article
- Brain Stimulation to Modulate Food Intake and Eating Behavior.Current diabetes reports · 2019Review
- Beyond the target area: an integrative view of tDCS-induced motor cortex modulation in patients and athletes.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation · 2019Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveObesity is associated with decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) modifies cortical excitability and may facilitate improved control of eating. The energy intake (EI) and body weight in subjects who received cathodal versus sham (study 1) and subsequent anodal versus sham (study 2) tDCS aimed at the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (LDLPFC) were measured.
methodsNine (3m, 6f) healthy volunteers with obesity (94 ± 15 kg [M ± SD]; 42 ± 8 y) were admitted as inpatients for 9 days to participate in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover experiment. Study 1: following 5 days of a weight-maintaining diet, participants received cathodal or sham tDCS (2 mA, 40 min) on three consecutive mornings and then ate ad libitum from a computerized vending machine, which recorded EI. Weight was measured daily. Study 2: participants repeated the study, maintaining original assignment to active (this time anodal) and sham.
resultsParticipants tended to consume fewer kilocalories per day (P = 0.07), significantly fewer kilocalories from soda (P = 0.02) and fat (P = 0.03), and had a greater % weight loss (P = 0.009) during anodal versus cathodal tDCS.
conclusionsThe results indicated a role for the LDLPFC in obesity and food intake. This proof of concept study suggested, for the first time, the potential application of anodal tDCS to facilitate weight loss.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.