Appetite Control Through Brain Stimulation: A Groundbreaking Approach to Obesity Treatment? Study Sheds Light
Metabolic syndrome is a complex of multiple metabolic abnormalities, including obesity, high blood pressure, and high triglycerides, often caused by poor diet and lack of exercise. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in eight people worldwide is overweight, making obesity treatment one of the most prominent markets currently.
The study led by Dr. Ki-young Shin of the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI), offers a tantalizing glimpse into a future where controlling our cravings might be as simple as wearing a high-tech headband.
There are various types of obesity treatments including drug injections and pharmaceuticals, but such chemical treatments often come with potential side effects when taken over for a long period. The official name of the electrical stimulation technique is transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS). Through years of research, the team identified the possibility that non-invasive electrical stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with tRNS technology could induce appetite suppression.
The goal of the clinical trial was to prove that tRNS stimulation is effective in reducing appetite. The trial included 60 female volunteers, 30 in the tRNS group and 30 in the active sham group. The trial consisted of six sessions of electrical stimulation with two to three days of interval for two weeks.
The results showed that the tRNS treatment group was effective in reducing appetite, willingness to eat, and hunger compared to the placebo group. The clinical trial also showed that tRNS can help treat emotional eating, meaning that the tendency to eat to process or relieve emotions such as stress, depression, anxiety, and joy was significantly reduced.
As the trial was conducted only for two weeks, long-term weight loss effect was not confirmed but participants reported significant appetite suppression.
But the researchers mentioned that although the technology is not yet complete and needs further research and verification, if this electrostimulation treatment equipment with far fewer side effects than existing obesity treatments is commercialized and can be used at home instead of in hospitals, it will provide an easy and simple method for daily appetite suppression management.
Ref: Dr. Ki-young Shin, KERI, National Research Council of Science and Technology
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