Brain Stimulation as a Method for Understanding, Treating, and Preventing Disorders of Indulgent Food Consumption

AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review is intended to describe the role of brain stimulation in knowledge generation, treatment, and prevention of clinical disorders of indulgent eating (e.g., obesity, bulimia, binge eating).Recent FindingsAlthough both invasive and non-invasive variants of brain stimulation have been evaluated as treatments for disorders of indulgent eating, only non-invasive variants have been studied extensively. Among these, both repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) have been evaluated in randomized trials; recent findings for both have been promising, but particularly so for a highly efficient variant of rTMS calledtheta burst stimulation. Laboratory experimental use of brain stimulation continues to provide important foundational knowledge to guide refinements of clinical treatments and —perhaps less intuitively—preventative efforts on the population level.SummaryBrain stimulation methods show promise in treating several disorders of indulgent eating, although more randomized trials are required. Continued refinements to stimulation methods will yield important new knowledge in the service of both healthcare system-friendly treatment options and population-level preventative efforts.
Source: Current Addiction Reports - Category: Addiction Source Type: research