Trial reportPsychological medicine2025
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in binge eating disorder: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.
Trial report in Psychological medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The effects of neuromodulation interventions on the eating behaviors of patients with eating disorders compared to healthy controls, sham therapies, and other therapeutic approaches: A systematic review.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2025Pooled it
- Non-invasive brain stimulation as an experimental treatment approach for bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorders: A meta-analysis and systematic review of literature.Indian journal of psychiatry · 2026Review
- rTMS Therapy for Eating Disorders: Scoping Review on Efficacy, Safety, Stimulation Parameters and Study Subjects.European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association · 2026Review
- Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) and inhibitory control training to reduce binge eating: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial (Be-Nemoic).Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- ExoTMS transcranial magnetic stimulation for the reduction of binge eating symptoms.PCN reports : psychiatry and clinical neurosciences · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBinge-eating disorder (BED) is characterized by highly distressing episodes of loss-of-control over-eating. We have examined the use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for the treatment of people with BED and associated obesity. Such non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques are used therapeutically in several psychiatric conditions and there is an associated scientific rationale.
methodsSixty participants were randomly allocated to receive 20 sessions of neuronavigated 10 Hz rTMS administered to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) or sham treatment. Primary outcomes were the frequency of binge eating episodes (BEE) and the 'urge to eat' (craving) evaluated at baseline and end-of-treatment (8 weeks post-randomization). Secondary outcomes included body mass index (BMI), hunger, general and specific eating disorder psychopathology. Follow-up analyses were conducted for most outcomes at 16 weeks post-randomization. Multilevel models were used to evaluate group, time, and group-by-time interactions for the association between rTMS exposure and outcomes.
resultsThe real rTMS group (compared with sham treatment), showed a significantly greater decrease in the number of BEE at the end of treatment (Estimated Mean [EM]: 2.41 95% CI: 1.84-3.15 versus EM: 1.45 95% CI: 1.05-1.99, p = 0.02), and at follow-up (EM: 3.79 95% CI: 3-4.78 versus EM: 2.45 95% CI: 1.88-3.17, p = 0.02; group × time interaction analysis p = 0.02). No group differences were found for other comparisons.
conclusionrTMS was associated with reduced BEE during and after treatment: it suggests rTMS is a promising intervention for BED.
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