title: The effects of prefrontal cortex transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on food craving and temporal discounting in women with frequent food cravings.
abstract: Bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and some forms of obesity are characterised by compulsive overeating that is often precipitated by food craving. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been used to suppress food cravings, but there is insufficient evidence to support its application in clinical practice. Furthermore, the potential moderating role of impulsivity has not been considered. This study used a randomised within-subjects crossover design to examine whether a 20-minute session of sham-controlled bilateral tDCS to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (anode right/cathode left) would transiently modify food cravings and temporal discounting (TD; a measure of choice impulsivity) in 17 healthy women with frequent food cravings. Whether the effects of tDCS on food craving were moderated by individual differences in TD behaviour was also explored. Participants were exposed to food and a film of people eating, and food cravings and TD were assessed before and after active and sham stimulation. Craving for sweet but not savoury foods was reduced following real tDCS. Participants that exhibited more reflective choice behaviour were more susceptible to the anti-craving effects of tDCS than those that displayed more impulsive choice behaviour. No differences were seen in TD or food consumption after real versus sham tDCS. These findings support the efficacy of tDCS in temporarily lowering food cravings and identify the moderating role of TD behaviour.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK. Electronic address: maria.kekic@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kekic
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McClelland
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Iain
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nestler
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Katya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rubia
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Anthony S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: David
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, 16 De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002755:Choice Behavior; D066249:Craving; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003463:Cues; D065786:Delay Discounting; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008875:Middle Aged; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex; D013649:Taste; D065908:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Brain stimulation; Eating disorders; Food cravings; Obesity; Temporal discounting (TD); Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)