title: Neuromodulation targeted to the prefrontal cortex induces changes in energy intake and weight loss in obesity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Obesity 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.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine (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.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants 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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 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.
authors.affiliation: Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
authors.forename: Marci E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Gluck
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bariatric and Nutritional Neuroscience, Center for the Study of Nutrition Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alonso-Alonso
authors.affiliation: Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Piaggi
authors.affiliation: Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.|Department of Neurology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Weise
authors.affiliation: Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
authors.forename: Reiner
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jumpertz-von Schwartzenberg
authors.affiliation: Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reinhardt
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Neurology Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Eric M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Wassermann
authors.affiliation: Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
authors.forename: Colleen A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Venti
authors.affiliation: Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
authors.forename: Susanne B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Votruba
authors.affiliation: Phoenix Epidemiology and Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krakoff
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D065908:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult