Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Inhibitory Control Training to Reduce Binge Eating: Brain and Behavioral Changes (BE-NEMOIC)

What this Trial Is About

People with binge eating (BE) often have high impulsivity, strong cravings for high-calorie foods, poor control over their impulses, and difficulty making healthy decisions. These behaviors relate to changes in brain areas like the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). The study aims to explore how brain stimulation combined with inhibitory control training can change brain function, behavior, cognition, and biological markers in people with BE. The goal is to see if stimulating these brain areas can reduce binge eating symptoms and improve emotional and cognitive functions. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: one receiving brain stimulation (intermittent theta burst stimulation, iTBS) targeting the DLPFC, another receiving iTBS targeting the vmPFC, and a control group receiving sham stimulation at the vertex. All groups will also perform inhibitory control training using a food Go/NoGo task. The intervention lasts two weeks, with five daily sessions each week, where each session includes 3 minutes of brain stimulation followed immediately by 10 minutes of inhibitory control training. Participants will take part in an initial informative session, then pre-treatment assessments including brain imaging (fMRI), questionnaires, and biological sample collection. They will complete the intervention sessions over two weeks, followed by post-treatment assessments and a follow-up assessment three months later. Researchers will measure binge eating symptoms, food cravings, brain activity, emotional and cognitive changes, and biological markers. Monthly contact after treatment will help maintain adherence. The total program spans about five weeks with multiple evaluations.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Inhibitory Control Training to Reduce Binge Eating: Brain and Behavioral Changes