Ljubisavljevic Milos, King Fransina C, Ismail Fatima Yousif, Statsenko Yauhen, Bashir Shahid, Abdullah Osama, Rokers Bas
Department of Physiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS), United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
ASPIRE Precision Medicine Research Institute Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
Front Hum Neurosci. 2025 Jul 30;19:1612062. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2025.1612062. eCollection 2025.
INTRODUCTION: Food addiction is characterized by heightened craving and impaired inhibitory control, contributing to compulsive eating and obesity. Existing behavioral and pharmacological interventions often fail to achieve lasting effects. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), by modulating neural oscillations and connectivity, offers a novel, non-invasive approach for regulating craving-related neural circuits. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the effects of fixed-frequency tACS targeting the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and insula on food cravings, inhibitory control, and related neural oscillations. The trial will assess whether tACS can reduce craving intensity and enhance inhibitory performance in individuals with varying degrees of food addiction severity. METHODS: We will conduct a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial involving 175 participants aged 20-55 years, stratified by food addiction status (FA+ vs. FA-) using the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS 2.0). Participants will receive tACS at alpha (10 Hz) or theta (6 Hz) frequency over the DLPFC, ACC, or insula for seven consecutive days. Electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) will be conducted pre- and post-intervention. Primary outcomes include changes in craving intensity and inhibitory control. Secondary outcomes include alterations in neural oscillations and functional connectivity. DISCUSSION: We hypothesize that theta-tACS over the ACC and insula will enhance inhibitory control and interoceptive awareness, while alpha-tACS over the DLPFC will improve top-down regulatory processes. This protocol aims to clarify the neural mechanisms underlying food cravings and evaluate tACS as a promising intervention for compulsive eating.
引言:食物成瘾的特征是强烈的渴望和抑制控制受损,导致强迫性进食和肥胖。现有的行为和药物干预往往无法取得持久效果。经颅交流电刺激(tACS)通过调节神经振荡和连接性,提供了一种调节与渴望相关神经回路的新颖、非侵入性方法。 目的:本研究旨在评估针对背外侧前额叶皮层(DLPFC)、前扣带回皮层(ACC)和脑岛的固定频率tACS对食物渴望、抑制控制及相关神经振荡的影响。该试验将评估tACS是否能降低不同程度食物成瘾严重程度个体的渴望强度并增强抑制表现。 方法:我们将进行一项随机、双盲、假对照试验,纳入175名年龄在20至55岁之间的参与者,使用耶鲁食物成瘾量表(YFAS 2.0)按食物成瘾状态(FA+与FA-)进行分层。参与者将在DLPFC、ACC或脑岛接受连续七天的α(10Hz)或θ(6Hz)频率的tACS。干预前后将进行脑电图(EEG)和功能磁共振成像(fMRI)检查。主要结局包括渴望强度和抑制控制的变化。次要结局包括神经振荡和功能连接的改变。 讨论:我们假设,ACC和脑岛的θ-tACS将增强抑制控制和内感受觉意识,而DLPFC的α-tACS将改善自上而下的调节过程。本方案旨在阐明食物渴望背后的神经机制,并评估tACS作为一种有前景的强迫性进食干预措施。
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