Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa

An experimental sham-controlled crossover study of prefrontal cortex transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in patients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN70396934

Enrollment

Registered

2014-04-29

Start date

2014-04-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2020-10-19

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

Conditions

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa Mental and Behavioural Disorders Anorexia nervosa, Bulimia nervosa

Interventions

This study has three interventions: 1. Anode right/cathode left tDCS (active) 2. Anode left/cathode right tDCS (active) 3. Placebo tDCS

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Male or female 2. Aged over 18 3. Current DSM-V diagnosis of either: 3.1. Anorexia nervosa-restricting type 3.2. Anorexia nervosa-binge/purge type 3.3. Eating disorder not otherwise specified-anorexia type 3.4. Bulimia nervosa 3.5. Eating disorder not otherwise specified-bulimia type

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Having a history of head or eye injury 2. Having a history of a neurological disease including previous seizures of any kind 3. Having a history of frequent or severe headaches 4. Having metallic implants in the head 5. Being on a dose of any psychotropic medication that has not been stable for at least 14 days prior to participation in the study 6. Taking antipsychotic medication 7. Taking anticonvulsive medication 8. Being pregnant 9. Smoking more than 15 cigarettes per day 10. Having a current major psychiatric disorder other than the eating disorder (e.g. major depressive disorder, substance use disorder, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder) needing treatment in its own right 11. Having severe abnormalities in a blood test during the 30 days prior to participation

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
The visual analogue scale (VAS) scores (0-10) obtained post-tDCS relating to hunger, urge to eat, urge to binge, urge to purge, urge to exercise, urge to restrict, feeling fat, and feeling full.	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Post-tDCS VAS scores (0-10) relating to food ratings, stress, anxiety, tension, and mood. 2. Post-tDCS Mizes Eating Disorder Cognitions Questionnaire-Revised (MEDCQ-R) scores 3. Post-tDCS Profile of Mood States (POMS) scores 4. Post-tDCS delay discounting scores 5. Eating disorder symptoms (measured using VAS) at 24-hour follow-up 6. Blinding success 7. Tolerability of the intervention	—

Countries

United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

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