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Transcranial direct current stimulation modulates implicit attitudes towards food in eating disorders
Giulia Mattavelli1,2, Alessia Gallucci1,2, Giandomenico Schiena3
1Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
The International Journal of Eating Disorders
|February 26, 2019
Summary
Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) of brain regions involved in food processing altered implicit food preferences in patients with eating disorders (EDs). Neuromodulation specifically affected patients, not healthy individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Neuromodulation is increasingly explored for eating behaviors, but findings are inconsistent.
- Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) targets brain regions involved in food processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of a-tDCS on implicit food and body preferences in individuals with eating disorders (EDs).
Main Methods:
- Thirty-six ED patients and 36 healthy females underwent three sessions of a-tDCS targeting the medial-prefrontal cortex (mPFC) or right extrastriate body area (rEBA), or sham stimulation.
- Participants completed Implicit Association Tests (IATs) for food preferences, body images, and a control task.
- Differences in reaction times (D score) between incongruent and congruent blocks were analyzed.
Main Results:
- A significant interaction between tDCS and group was observed for the IAT-food D score.
- ED patients exhibited weaker preferences for tasty food compared to controls under sham conditions, an effect diminished with a-tDCS.
- rEBA stimulation notably increased the IAT-food D score in patients versus sham, and a-tDCS over mPFC and rEBA slowed reaction times for incongruent food-related stimuli.
Conclusions:
- a-tDCS applied to frontal (mPFC) and occipito-temporal (rEBA) cortices modulates implicit food preferences in ED patients.
- This neuromodulatory effect appears specific to food-related stimuli and selective to patients, suggesting potential therapeutic avenues for altering implicit attitudes in EDs.
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