Transcranial Direct Current Simulation

Obesity can be attributed to numerous factors, the predominant factor being an uneven amount of calories consumed relative to calories being expended. This phenomenon results in excess caloric energy being stored as fat, and thusly contributing towards weight gain. Additionally, there also happens to be a strong positive correlation between Body Mass Index (BMI) and food cravings (Chao et al., 2014). According to Chao et al. in 2013, food cravings have been defined as an irresistible urge to consume, which can be associated with less excitability in the reward center of the brain, or the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Cho et al., 2013). The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) also plays a major role in emotional regulation and cognitive
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive neuromodulation technique that is safe and inexpensive. The mechanisms of tDCS include the transmission of a consistent, low electric current through the scalp through two electrodes, the anode and the cathode. The anode is the positively charged electrode that has the ability to stimulate neuronal activity while the cathode inhibits brain cell activity. Rather an invoking the action potentials in neurons by changing the magnetic fields over the scalp like what is done in transmagnetic stimulation, tDCS increases the statistical probability of a neuron firing. Due to the simplicity and safety of tDCS, is quickly becoming a promising technique for the treatment of an array of disorders. Studies have shown its effectiveness in conditions such as emotional dysregulation (Freeser et al., 2014), depression (Loo et al, 2010), and even aphasia due to stroke (Balidos et al., 2016). Because of these promising treatments, tDCS studies have extended to an ever broader array of issues and disorders, such as obesity and eating disorders with binge eating as a major symptom (Uher et al., 2005). tDCS is an obvious choice for the treatment of obesity due to the underlying
For example, a study conducted by Burgess et al., in 2016 examined the effects of tDCS on food intake, craving, and frequency/desire to binge in obese populations with binge eating disorder (BED). This study targeted the DLPFC and implemented a RA/LC electrode montage, which implies the anode was placed over the right DLPFC, while the cathode was placed over the left DLPFC. The results found that tDCS vs. sham reduced cravings for sweets, savory proteins, and the “all foods” category, with males experiencing the greater reduction in cravings. The study also found that total and preferred food intake were reduced, as well as a reduction in desire to binge after tDCS stimulation (Burgess et al., 2016). These findings strongly suggest that the right DLPFC has a role in the regulation of intake and