A Feasibility Study of Mindfulness Training Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in Adults With Overweight and Obesity

A Feasibility Study of Mindfulness Training Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in Adults With Overweight and Obesity.

This study will investigate the feasibility of combining an app-based Mindfulness training (MT) with at-home administered transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in adults with overweight or obesity and assess whether MT with tDCS may improve weight-related behaviours in this population. Specifically, the study will assess whether MT+ active tDCS, as opposed to MT+ sham tDCS or waiting list control, reduces high calorie food craving and consumption. Findings will inform the development of a future large-scale randomised controlled trial. The trial will be conducted in the UK.

A randomised controlled feasibility trial with three parallel arms: [MT + real tDCS] vs [MT + sham tDCS] vs [Waiting list control group].

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults aged 18 to 60 w
• Overweight or obese (BMI ≥25 kg/ m2) according to World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria.
• Use and understand English as a language for everyday conversation.
• Have access to a laptop or desktop computer with webcam and to able to attend baseline, post intervention and follow up assessments in the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (KCL).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Insufficient written and spoken English
• All known contraindications to tDCS (Brunoni et al., 2012)
• Pregnancy; history of neurological disease and/or seizure
• Having any metallic implants in the head or body
• History of head or eye injury
• Significant health problems in the previous six months
• A lifetime diagnosis of substance dependence, psychosis, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder; any other primary psychiatric disorder requiring treatment in its own right
• Taking psychotropic medication
• Taking medication for weight loss Regular, current or past, mindfulness meditation or yoga practice (defined as > 20 minutes, twice or more per week during the past 2 months)
• Consuming more than 14 units of alcohol per week who are unwilling to reduce their alcohol intake for the duration of the treatment
• Current illicit drug use
• Learning difficulties that would preclude safe tDCS self-administration and/or completion of questionnaire measures and neurocognitive tasks (e.g.; working memory and inhibitory control)
• Current atypical anorexia nervosa or purging once a week or more.