Ameliorating cognitive control in patients with binge eating disorder by electrical brain stimulation: study protocol of the randomized controlled ACCElect pilot trial

Abstract Background The current first-line treatment for binge eating disorder (BED), which is psychotherapy, is moderately effective in terms of abstinence from binge-eating. Neurobiological evidence suggests that people affected by BED show difficulties along the spectrum of impulsivity, including...

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Main Authors: Katrin E. Giel, Kathrin Schag, Peter Martus, Sebastian M. Max, Christian Plewnia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2022-02-01
Series:Journal of Eating Disorders
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-022-00544-7
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author Katrin E. Giel
Kathrin Schag
Peter Martus
Sebastian M. Max
Christian Plewnia
author_facet Katrin E. Giel
Kathrin Schag
Peter Martus
Sebastian M. Max
Christian Plewnia
author_sort Katrin E. Giel
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background The current first-line treatment for binge eating disorder (BED), which is psychotherapy, is moderately effective in terms of abstinence from binge-eating. Neurobiological evidence suggests that people affected by BED show difficulties along the spectrum of impulsivity, including inhibitory control impairments and highlights the potential of novel treatment approaches directly targeting inhibitory control, including cognitive training approaches and non-invasive brain stimulation. Methods ACCElect is a prospective, randomized controlled pilot trial investigating a novel, food-related inhibitory control training combined with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). 40 patients with BED will be randomly assigned to receive the training either combined with verum or with sham stimulation (control condition). The inhibitory control training is based on principles of the antisaccade paradigm and comprises six training sessions over two weeks. Core aims are the investigation of feasibility and clinically relevant effects of a tDCS-enhanced inhibitory control training in BED patients and the establishment of a data basis for a larger efficacy trial. The primary clinical endpoint is binge-eating (BE) frequency in terms of changes in BE episodes four weeks after treatment termination as compared to baseline. Key secondary outcomes comprise ED pathology and general psychopathology, inhibitory control capacities, quality of life as well as acceptability and satisfaction with the intervention. Discussion The results of the present trial will contribute to the development of novel neurobiologically informed treatment approaches for patients suffering from BED. Trial registration The ACCElect trial was prospectively registered on October 1, 2020, under the registration number NCT04572087 at ClinicalTrials.gov ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04572087 ).
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spelling doaj.art-85ec2a1cf43e468fa3abdd626be7962d2023-02-02T13:40:22ZengBMCJournal of Eating Disorders2050-29742022-02-0110111010.1186/s40337-022-00544-7Ameliorating cognitive control in patients with binge eating disorder by electrical brain stimulation: study protocol of the randomized controlled ACCElect pilot trialKatrin E. Giel0Kathrin Schag1Peter Martus2Sebastian M. Max3Christian Plewnia4Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University Hospital Tübingen, Eberhard Karls University TübingenDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University Hospital Tübingen, Eberhard Karls University TübingenInstitute for Clinical Epidemiology and Applied Biostatistics, Medical Faculty, Eberhard Karls University TübingenUniversity Hospital of Psychiatry and PsychotherapyUniversity Hospital of Psychiatry and PsychotherapyAbstract Background The current first-line treatment for binge eating disorder (BED), which is psychotherapy, is moderately effective in terms of abstinence from binge-eating. Neurobiological evidence suggests that people affected by BED show difficulties along the spectrum of impulsivity, including inhibitory control impairments and highlights the potential of novel treatment approaches directly targeting inhibitory control, including cognitive training approaches and non-invasive brain stimulation. Methods ACCElect is a prospective, randomized controlled pilot trial investigating a novel, food-related inhibitory control training combined with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). 40 patients with BED will be randomly assigned to receive the training either combined with verum or with sham stimulation (control condition). The inhibitory control training is based on principles of the antisaccade paradigm and comprises six training sessions over two weeks. Core aims are the investigation of feasibility and clinically relevant effects of a tDCS-enhanced inhibitory control training in BED patients and the establishment of a data basis for a larger efficacy trial. The primary clinical endpoint is binge-eating (BE) frequency in terms of changes in BE episodes four weeks after treatment termination as compared to baseline. Key secondary outcomes comprise ED pathology and general psychopathology, inhibitory control capacities, quality of life as well as acceptability and satisfaction with the intervention. Discussion The results of the present trial will contribute to the development of novel neurobiologically informed treatment approaches for patients suffering from BED. Trial registration The ACCElect trial was prospectively registered on October 1, 2020, under the registration number NCT04572087 at ClinicalTrials.gov ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04572087 ).https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-022-00544-7Binge eating disorderCognitive controlEating disorderNon-invasive brain stimulationRCTtDCS
spellingShingle Katrin E. Giel
Kathrin Schag
Peter Martus
Sebastian M. Max
Christian Plewnia
Ameliorating cognitive control in patients with binge eating disorder by electrical brain stimulation: study protocol of the randomized controlled ACCElect pilot trial
Journal of Eating Disorders
Binge eating disorder
Cognitive control
Eating disorder
Non-invasive brain stimulation
RCT
tDCS
title Ameliorating cognitive control in patients with binge eating disorder by electrical brain stimulation: study protocol of the randomized controlled ACCElect pilot trial
title_full Ameliorating cognitive control in patients with binge eating disorder by electrical brain stimulation: study protocol of the randomized controlled ACCElect pilot trial
title_fullStr Ameliorating cognitive control in patients with binge eating disorder by electrical brain stimulation: study protocol of the randomized controlled ACCElect pilot trial
title_full_unstemmed Ameliorating cognitive control in patients with binge eating disorder by electrical brain stimulation: study protocol of the randomized controlled ACCElect pilot trial
title_short Ameliorating cognitive control in patients with binge eating disorder by electrical brain stimulation: study protocol of the randomized controlled ACCElect pilot trial
title_sort ameliorating cognitive control in patients with binge eating disorder by electrical brain stimulation study protocol of the randomized controlled accelect pilot trial
topic Binge eating disorder
Cognitive control
Eating disorder
Non-invasive brain stimulation
RCT
tDCS
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-022-00544-7
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