09 June 2024 , 20:23
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In what could be a potential 'game-changer' for those struggling with binge-eating and weight issues, a new treatment has been uncovered by scientists.
The combination of at-home electrical brain stimulation and a form of brain training has been observed to drastically lessen binge-eating incidences and aid weight loss. A study demonstrates that individuals who received this combined treatment saw their average monthly binge episodes diminish from around 20 to just six after six weeks.
Moreover, the people partaking in this program reported notable weight loss, shedding between 3.5kg and 4kg from the commencement of the study to the six-week mark. Offering insights on the study, its first author, Dr Michaela Flynn, a research associate at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London, said: "Current treatments for binge-eating disorder are only effective for some people and many need further or different support to get well."
"Our study is the first to look at a new option for home-based treatment that offers a different approach to treating binge-eating disorder." This gentle brain electrification technique, referred to as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), aims at behavioural patterns that might be causing loss of control around food intake thus empowering individuals to alter deeply rooted thoughts and actions towards food.
Discussing the significant impact, Dr Flynn revealed: "Participants commented that their mood felt lighter, which may be a key part of why they reported changes in eating behaviour and weight loss that lasted for some time after treatment ended. Our findings are encouraging, and we want to explore this on a larger scale with more participants."
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Binge-eating disorder (BED) is a severe mental health condition that can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or background, reports Bristol Live. Those with the disorder often experience recurring episodes where they lose control over their eating habits, consuming large amounts of food in a short time until they feel uncomfortably full.
This condition is usually associated with anxiety and low mood, and it's linked to obesity and metabolic complications. The small-scale study involved only 82 participants who were either overweight or obese and met the criteria for BED, divided into four groups.
One group underwent 10 sessions of combined therapy involving self-administered tDCS during attention bias modification training (ABMT) at home. ABMT was carried out on a laptop or desktop computer, lasting between 10 ans 15 minutes, with participants trained to focus on low-calorie food cues and divert their attention from high-calorie food cues.
The brain stimulation was administered using specialist equipment designed for self-use at home, which included a head cap with attached electrodes. Compared to those who received the combined therapy, those who underwent ABMT with sham tDCS reported an average weight loss of about 1.5kg to 2kg.
Professor Ulrike Schmidt, a specialist in eating disorders at King's IoPPN and co-author of the study stated: "Binge-eating disorder is a really neglected, but common and distressing eating disorder that is typically surrounded by a lot of shame. The treatment we tested is home delivered, which allows it to reach people who may find it difficult to come into the community.
"For some time eating disorder services have not been funded to work with or treat people with binge-eating disorder. Importantly the treatment described here is straightforward to deliver making it potentially highly scalable in the NHS."
The results from this illuminating study can be found in its entirety within the pages of the BJPsychOpen journal.