Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder: Comparing Therapeutic Strategies

Summary

This study aims to assess the effectiveness of new neurostimulation techniques in patients with eating disorders.

The primary aim of our proposal is to test a reduction in symptoms of alteration of eating behaviors, such as always thinking about food or binge eating, in a sample of 30 patients, aged between 18 and 65, with diagnosis of Bulimia Nervosa or Binge Eating Disorder. Of these patients, 10 will undergo to a protocol of vagal transcutaneous stimulation in the ear (tVNS) and targeted cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT-E), another 10 to a protocol of transcranial magnetic stimulation (rtms) and CBT-E and another 10 to a protocol of only tergeted CBT-E, comparing the results obtained in the three groups under study. Secondary purposes of this project are the assessment of the effects of auricular vagal transcutaneous stimulation and of transcranial magnetic stimulation on depressive symptoms associated with eating disorder, on the inflammatory profile, on cardiovascular autonomic control, neuronal excitability, functional connectivity and on the quality of life of these patients.

In order to achieve the objectives of this research project, we will perform a national, interventional on a medical device, monocentric study, controlled in 3 parallel and randomized groups with a 1:1:1 allocation ratio. 30 patients will be recruited at the Day Hospital of the Psychiatry Unit of the Fondazione.

Conditions

• Bulimia Nervosa
• Binge-Eating Disorder

Interventions

DEVICE

tVNS

An electric current with a frequency of 25 Hz (Figure 2) will be applied to the cymba conca of the left ear through a specific device (VITOS, Cerbomed, Germany; CE marking). The stimulation intensity will be customized between 0.1 and 5 mA according to the sensitivity threshold of each participant. Patients will be instructed to perform tVNS at home for 4 non-consecutive hours per day for 12 weeks, in accordance with the protocol reported in the literature for the treatment of major depression.

DEVICE

rTMS

The stimulation will be carried out with a TMS STM9000 system (Ates, Medica Device s.r.l., Italy) equipped with a 70 mm "butterfly" cooled coil. The stimulation protocol followed will be the one approved by the FDA for major depression, that is, a stimulation at the level of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex at an intensity equal to 120% of the motor threshold, at the frequency of 10hz. Each stimulation session will last 37.5 minutes, and will consist of 75 trains lasting 4 seconds, with a 26-second break between each train. During each session, a total of 3000 stimuli will be administered. The sessions will take place 5 days a week, from Monday to Friday, for 4 weeks, and for a total of 20 sessions of stimulation.

BEHAVIORAL

CBT-E

Targeted cognitive-behavioral therapy following the CBT-E protocol (CG Fairburn - 2010. La terapia cognitivo-comportamentale dei disturbi dell'alimentazione. Firenze, Eclipsi; 2010.)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Paolo Brambilla, Professor · Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-01-01

Primary Completion

2023-06-30

Completion

2024-08-31

Countries

• Italy

Study Locations