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MINDED: A feasibility study of mindfulness training transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in adults with overweight and obesity

Overview

What are we doing? 

We are looking at whether combining transcranial direct stimulation (tDCS), a safe and painless form of brain stimulation, with mindfulness training improves weight related eating habits.

Who can take part?


Adults aged 18-60, Overweight / Obese, Access a computer with a webcam

What would I need to do?


Be randomly allocated to receive 10 at home remotely supervised sessions of either real tDCS with mindfulness training, sham tDCS with mindfulness training or to wait 8-week waitlist. Complete 3 in person assessments involving research tasks and surveys.

As a token of thanks for your time and efforts, you will receive £50 for taking part.

Are you interested in taking part in this study? 

Find out more by filling in this form

Planned end date

01 Aug 2024 23:59

Conditions

Obesity,Overweight

Inclusion Criteria

  • Male and female adults between 18 and 60 years of age, who are overweight or obese according to WHO criteria
    (BMI>25 kg/m²)
  • Right-handed
  • Must use and understand English as a language for everyday conversation
  • Access to a laptop or desktop computer with webcam and to able to attend baseline, post intervention and follow up
    assessments in the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (KCL)

Exclusion Criteria

  • All known contraindications to tDCS (Brunoni, Nitsche et al. 2012)
  • Pregnancy
  • History of neurological disease and/or seizure
  • Having any metallic implants anywhere in the head or body
  • History of head or eye injury
  • Significant health problems in the previous six months
  • Lifetime diagnosis of substance dependence, psychosis, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder
  • Other primary psychiatric disorder requiring treatment in its own right
  • Taking psychotropic medication
  • Adults consuming more than 14 units of alcohol per week who are unwilling to reduce their alcohol intake for the
  • duration of the treatment.
  • Current illicit drug use
  • Learning difficulties that would preclude safe tDCS self-administration and/or completion of questionnaire measures and neurocognitive tasks (e.g. working memory and inhibitory control)
  • Taking medication for weight loss
  • Engaging in regular, current or past, mindfulness meditation or yoga practice (defined as > 20 minutes, two or more times per week during the past 2 months)
  • Having atypical anorexia nervosa or purging once a week or more
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