Georgii Claudio, Goldhofer Philipp, Meule Adrian, Richard Anna, Blechert Jens
Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
Physiol Behav. 2017 Aug 1;177:20-26. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.04.004. Epub 2017 Apr 8.
Impulsivity has been found to be associated with overeating and obesity. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may enhance inhibitory control while reducing food craving and intake. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether tDCS stimulation modifies food choice, craving and consumption as a function of trait impulsivity.
Forty-two predominantly healthy-weight women received active tDCS stimulation to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and sham stimulation in a within participant design. Trait impulsivity was measured with a short form of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Participants completed a computerized food-choice task, during which their mouse movements were traced. Current food craving was measured by a modified version of the Food Cravings Questionnaire-State as well as by desire to eat ratings for food pictures. Food intake was measured in a taste test.
There were no tDCS effects on any of the dependent variables. Trait impulsivity (and non-planning impulsivity in particular) was positively associated with higher calorie intake in the taste test, irrespective of tDCS stimulation.
The current findings question the efficacy of single-session tDCS stimulation of the right dLPFC to reduce food craving, high caloric food choice and calorie intake in non-selected, predominantly healthy weight women. However, they do support the idea that trait impulsivity is related to overeating and, therefore, may be a risk factor for obesity. Future research needs to specify which appetitive behaviors can be modulated by brain stimulation and which populations might profit from it the most.
研究发现冲动性与暴饮暴食及肥胖有关。经颅直流电刺激（tDCS）可能会增强抑制控制，同时减少对食物的渴望及摄入量。因此，本研究旨在探讨tDCS刺激是否会根据特质冲动性改变食物选择、渴望和消费情况。
42名体重主要处于健康范围的女性参与了一项自身对照设计研究，她们分别接受了右侧背外侧前额叶皮层的tDCS有效刺激和假刺激。采用简版巴拉特冲动性量表测量特质冲动性。参与者完成一项计算机化食物选择任务，期间会追踪她们的鼠标移动情况。采用改良版食物渴望问卷状态量表以及对食物图片的进食欲望评分来测量当前的食物渴望程度。通过味觉测试测量食物摄入量。
tDCS对任何因变量均无影响。无论是否接受tDCS刺激，特质冲动性（尤其是非计划性冲动性）与味觉测试中较高的卡路里摄入量呈正相关。
目前的研究结果对单次tDCS刺激右侧背外侧前额叶皮层以减少未筛选的、体重主要处于健康范围女性的食物渴望、高热量食物选择和卡路里摄入量的疗效提出了质疑。然而，这些结果确实支持特质冲动性与暴饮暴食有关，因此可能是肥胖的一个风险因素这一观点。未来的研究需要明确哪些食欲行为可以通过脑刺激来调节，以及哪些人群可能从中获益最大。
