Effectiveness of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Cravings in Overweight Individuals

Abstract

Background: Overweight is one of the current problems of people. One of its causes is the craving for food. This study was conducted with the aim to evaluate the effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on craving for food in overweight people.

Methods: The research was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population of the study included all overweight people referred to Aramesh Psychology Center in Tehran, Iran, in 2019. They were selected using a purposeful sampling method and were randomly divided into two groups. The mean and standard deviation of the age of the subjects was 34.27 ± 6.45 years and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 28.12 ± 2.23 kg/m². The research instrument was the Food Cravings Questionnaires (FCQs) developed by Cepeda-Benito, Gleaves, Williams, and Erath‎ (2000). Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).

Results: The results showed a significant difference between the tDCS group and control group in terms of mean trait craving (P ≥ 0.001) and state craving (P ≥ 0.001) scores.

Conclusion: It seems that tDCS can be used to reduce food cravings in obese people. Theoretical and practical considerations of the research have been presented in the discussion and conclusion sections.