Crossover design in transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Food Craving, Self-Control, and Food-based Decision-making: a Proof of Concept study

The Effect of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) over the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC), Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC), or Orbitofrontal Cortex (OFC), on Food Craving, Self-Control and Food-based Decision-making in overweight clients

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

IRCT

Registry ID

IRCT20140203016465N8

Enrollment

Registered

2025-05-14

Start date

2025-05-17

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2025-07-21

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Overweight and obese people.

Interventions

Intervention 1: Intervention group: Active tDCS over DLPFC. Intervention 2: Control group: Sham tDCS. Intervention 3: Intervention group: Active tDCS over OFC. Intervention 4: Intervention group: Acti

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: BMI>=25 Right-hand Absence of a history of physical trauma to the head Absence of a history of brain surgery Absence of a history of active migraine Absence of a history of epilepsy or seizure Absence of a history of seizure in the first-degree family member Absence of neurofeedback treatment during the past 2 month

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Opting out of the experiment Failure to participate for four sessions in under 40 days Starting or terminating a food diet during the course of study

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Food craving. Timepoint: First week (baseline), second week, third week, forth week, fifth week. Method of measurement: Food Craving Questionnaire Trait-reduced (FCQ-T-r).;Self-control. Timepoint: First week (pre-test & post-test), second week (pre-test & post-test), third week (pre-test & post-test), forth week (pre-test & post-test). Method of measurement: Delay Discounting Task (DDT).;Food-based decision-making. Timepoint: First week (pre-test & post-test), second week (pre-test & post-test), third week (pre-test & post-test), forth week (pre-test & post-test). Method of measurement: Food Choice Task (FCT).	—

Measure

Time frame

Food craving. Timepoint: First week (baseline), second week, third week, forth week, fifth week. Method of measurement: Food Craving Questionnaire Trait-reduced (FCQ-T-r).;Self-control. Timepoint: First week (pre-test & post-test), second week (pre-test & post-test), third week (pre-test & post-test), forth week (pre-test & post-test). Method of measurement: Delay Discounting Task (DDT).;Food-based decision-making. Timepoint: First week (pre-test & post-test), second week (pre-test & post-test), third week (pre-test & post-test), forth week (pre-test & post-test). Method of measurement: Food Choice Task (FCT).

—

Countries

Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Contacts

Public ContactSeyed Ali Mostafavi

Tehran University of Medical Sciences

mostafavi.n80@hotmail.com+98 21 5542 2002

Outcome results

None listed

Source: IRCT (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026