Hyperthyroidism is more prevalent in patients with DS than in the general population and has no gender predominance. It is caused mainly by Graves' disease. Anti-thyroid drugs were not effective in achieving remission and radioactive iodine as a definitive treatment was required in all cases.
Objective
The objective of this study was to test the feasibility of a combined intervention involving transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and cognitive training (CT). Short‐term effects on food consumption, cognition, endocannabinoid (eCB) levels, and electroencephalogram (EEG) markers of future weight loss were explored.
Methods
Eighteen healthy volunteers with morbid obesity were randomized in a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, parallel trial. Participants received sham or active tDCS plus CT for four consecutive days. Cognitive performance, daily food intake, and eCB blood samples were collected before and after the intervention; EEG data were gathered before and after daily training.
Results
The active tDCS + CT group reversed left‐dominant frontal asymmetry and increased frontal coherence (FC) in the γ‐band (30‐45 Hz) after the intervention. The strength of the latter predicted BMI reduction. Additionally, a large intervention effect on food intake was shown in the active tDCS + CT group at follow‐up (−339.6 ± 639 kcal on average), and there was a decrease of plasma eCB concentrations.
Conclusions
dlPFC modulation through tDCS + CT is an effective tool to restore right dominance of the dlPFC and enhance FC in patients with morbid obesity. Moreover, the effect of the strength of FC on BMI suggests that the interhemispheric FC at the dlPFC is functionally relevant for the efficient regulation of food choice.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.