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TENS may Potentially Reduce Appetite and Help Weight Reduction in Obese Individuals: Study
A recent study conducted by researchers in India has explored a novel approach to obesity management using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on the T6 dermatome, suggesting that this non-invasive technique could potentially reduce appetite and facilitate weight loss in obese individuals.
The study, conducted in the department of Neurosciences in AIIMS, Delhi, enrolled 20 patients with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 who had previously failed dietary interventions. The intervention consisted of weekly 30-minute TENS sessions applied to the T6 dermatome over a 12-week period. The TENS parameters were set to burst mode, 2.0 Hz frequency, and 300 microseconds width.
The results showed statistically significant reductions in appetite levels, weight, and BMI from pre- to post-intervention (p < 0.001). These effects were maintained at the 8-week follow-up. Notably, the effect size for appetite reduction was large (>1), while the effect sizes for weight and BMI reduction were small (0.14 and 0.16, respectively).
The researchers proposed that the mechanism of action may involve autonomic effects on the stomach via vagal response and altered activity in brain centers related to appetite. They also suggested that TENS stimulation of the T6 dermatome may mimic the satiety signals typically sent by stretch receptors in the stomach after eating.
While the study showed promising results, the authors acknowledged several limitations. The single-arm design made it impossible to differentiate between treatment effects, placebo effects, and natural history. Additionally, the study did not include comprehensive analyses of hunger, desire to eat, and fullness before and after meals, nor did it measure changes in body composition or plasma ghrelin levels.
Despite these limitations, this study presents TENS as a potentially safe, cost-effective, and non-invasive treatment option for obesity that does not require extensive expertise to administer. The researchers suggest that future investigations should aim at designing a simple, portable TENS device that obese individuals could use at home or in the workplace.
Reference
Effect of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation of T6 Dermatome on Appetite and Weight Reduction in Obese Individuals: A Pilot Study Sahu, Pradeep Kumar; Ranjan, Piyush; Agrawal, Deepak; Singh, Garima
Neurology India 72(3):p 534-539, May–Jun 2024. | DOI: 10.4103/neuroindia.NI_1063_20
MBBS, DrNB Neurosurgery
Krishna Shah, MBBS, DrNB Neurosurgery. She did her MBBS from GMC, Jamnagar, and there after did direct 6 Year DrNB Neurosurgery from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi. Her interests lie in Brain and Spine surgery, Neurological disorders, minimally invasive surgeries, Endoscopic brain and spine procedures, as well as research.
Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751