Brain stimulation potentially effective in weight loss in obese individuals: Study

Obesity has recently been recognized as a neurocognitive disorder involving circuits associated with the reward system and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has been proposed as a strategy for the management of obesity. However, the results have been inconclusive.

A group of researchers from Taiwan conducted a network meta-analysis (NMA) was to evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of different NIBS modalities for weight reduction in participants with obesity.

The researchers examined randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) interventions in patients with obesity were analyzed using the frequentist model of network meta-analysis (NMA).

The co-primary outcome was a change in body mass index (BMI) and acceptability, which was calculated using the dropout rate.

The results of the study are as follows:

Overall, the current network meta-analysis (NMA), consisting of eight randomized controlled trials (RCTs), revealed that the high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was ranked to be associated with the second-largest decrease in BMI and the largest decrease in total energy intake and craving severity, whereas the high-frequency deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the insula was ranked to be associated with the largest decrease in BMI.

Thus, the researchers concluded that this pilot study provided a "signal" for the design of more methodologically robust and larger RCTs based on the findings of the potentially beneficial effect on weight reduction in participants with obesity by different NIBS interventions.

Reference:

Efficacy and acceptability of non-invasive brain stimulation interventions for weight reduction in obesity: a pilot network meta-analysis by Zeng B et. al published in the International Journal of Obesity.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-021-00833-2