A Feasibility Study of Mindfulness Training Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in Adults With Overweight and Obesity

NCT05865912 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 52

Last updated 2025-07-28

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study will investigate the feasibility of combining an app-based Mindfulness training (MT) with at-home administered transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in adults with overweight or obesity and assess whether MT with tDCS may improve weight-related behaviours in this population. Specifically, the study will assess whether MT+ active tDCS, as opposed to MT+ sham tDCS or waiting list control, reduces high calorie food craving and consumption. Findings will inform the development of a future large-scale randomised controlled trial. The trial will be conducted in the UK.

Conditions

  • Adults With Overweight and Obesity

Interventions

COMBINATION_PRODUCT

Mindfulness training + real tDCS

The MT is an established app-based programme delivered by Headspace®. During MT, participants complete guided meditation sessions which focus on mindful eating and on coping with cravings. Each MT session lasts 15 min. Participants in the MT+ real tDCS and MT+ sham tDCS groups will be given instructions to practice daily mindfulness for 3 weeks. During 10 of these sessions, MT and real/sham tDCS will be delivered concurrently. TDCS: During tDCS, a constant weak direct current is applied via electrodes (anode and cathode) placed on the scalp. In this study, the anode will be placed over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and the cathode will be placed over the left dlPFC. In the real tDCS condition, stimulation will be delivered at a constant current of 2 mA with a 10 second fade in/fade out for 20 minutes. In sham tDCS, the stimulator will deliver 60 seconds of active stimulation at the start ("ramping up") and end ("ramping down") of the 20 minute period.

COMBINATION_PRODUCT

Mindfulness training + sham tDCS

Mindfulness training + sham tDCS

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
60 Years
Sex
FEMALE
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2023-10-17
Primary Completion
2025-02-19
Completion
2025-02-19

Countries

  • United Kingdom

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT05865912 on ClinicalTrials.gov