Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa — SANO  

Anorexia Nervosa Clinical Trial

Official title: The Changes in the Body-perception and Perception of the Pain in Patients With Anorexia Nervosa Before and After Using the tDCS

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a serious and often chronical eating disorder characterized by an extreme effort for weight loss and intense fear of becoming fat despite the obvious thinness. The treatment is very difficult and not always effective. That´s the reason why we are looking for new ways of the therapeutic approach.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a neuromodulation technique, which modulates the neuronal excitability. According to previous research it has a potential to help people with Anorexia Nervosa.

The device for the tDCS has two electrodes, an anode (the excitatory one) and a cathode (the inhibitory one). We put them on the skull into the different positions, in dependence on the fact, if we want to excite or on to inhibit the parts of the brain under the electrodes.

There are several hypothesis how could the tDCS help in patients with AN. One of them speaks about the hyperactivity of the right hemisphere in Anorexia Nervosa. Therefore could the anodal (excitatory) tDCS over the left hemisphere and the cathodal (inhibitory one) help in resetting the inter-hemispheric balance.

Clinical Trial Description

Stimulation of 2 milliampere is applied for 30 minutes in every real session. Together there are 10 sessions, the application is every workday within 2 weeks.

All measurements and questionnaires are made 4 times:

1. Before the stimulation

2. On the day of the last stimulation

3. 14 days after the last stimulation

4. 28 days after the last stimulation ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Anorexia
• Anorexia Nervosa

• NCT number: NCT03273205
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Charles University, Czech Republic
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: May 22, 2017
• Completion date: February 1, 2021