Study of Brain Stimulation and Inhibitory Training to Improve Weight and Behavior in Adults with Overweight or Obesity

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying people with excess weight who often experience high impulsivity, strong cravings for high-calorie foods, difficulty controlling impulses, and poor decision-making. These issues are linked to changes in brain areas like the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex DLPFC. This trial aims to explore how neuromodulation using intermittent theta burst transcranial magnetic stimulation iTBS of the DLPFC, alone or combined with inhibitory control training, affects brain function, behavior, and biological markers in people with excess weight. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups one receiving active iTBS of the left DLPFC combined with inhibitory control training using a food GoNo-go task on a smartphone app one receiving active iTBS of the left DLPFC alone and a control group receiving sham iTBS of the vertex. The intervention lasts two weeks with five daily sessions each week. Each session includes 3 minutes of iTBS and, for the combined group, 10 minutes of cognitive training immediately after stimulation. Before this, all groups receive information sessions and guidance on diet and exercise. Participants undergo assessments at three times before treatment, after treatment, and at a three-month follow-up. These include questionnaires, brain imaging with fMRI, biological sample collection blood, saliva, urine, feces, and measurements of body size. Researchers measure changes in body mass index, brain activation during tasks, food cravings, eating and exercise behaviors, emotional and cognitive function, and biological markers. The study also evaluates the cost-effectiveness of these interventions and monitors safety throughout the study period, which spans six weeks from initial sessions to follow-up.

Inhibitory Control Training and iTBS for Excess Weight: Behavioral and Brain Changes (InhibE).