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Non-invasive brain stimulation treatment in a group of adolescents with anorexia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2020

F. Costanzo ,
A. Maritato ,
D. Menghini ,
M.C. Castiglioni ,
V. Zanna  and
S. Vicari
F. Costanzo
Affiliation:
Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Department of Neuroscience, Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Rome, Italy
A. Maritato
Affiliation:
Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Department of Neuroscience, Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Rome, Italy LUMSA University, Educational Science, Rome, Italy
D. Menghini
Affiliation:
Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Department of Neuroscience, Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Rome, Italy
M.C. Castiglioni
Affiliation:
Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Department of Neuroscience, Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Rome, Italy
V. Zanna
Affiliation:
Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Department of Neuroscience, Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Rome, Italy
S. Vicari
Affiliation:
Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Department of Neuroscience, Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Rome, Italy

Abstract

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Introduction

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized eating behaviors and body image disturbances. Given poor treatment outcomes are available for AN, treatment innovations are urgently needed. Recently, non-invasive neuromodulation tools have suggested having potential for reducing AN symptomatology targeting brain alterations.

Objectives

The objective was to verify whether an excitatory transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left prefrontal cortex may aid in altering/resetting inter-hemispheric balance in AN patients, re-establishing control over eating behaviors.

Aims

Research is aimed to evaluate the potential of tDCS treatment in determining a more rapid improvement compared to classical treatments in adolescents with AN.

Methods

Twenty-two adolescents with AN, underwent the treatment as usual (AU) plus the tDCS treatment (TDCS + AU: n = 8, age M 13.7 ± 1.9 years) or a family therapy (FT + AU: n = 14, age M 15.1 ± 1.75 years), for six weeks. Psychopathological scales (EDI-III, EAT 26, BUT, MASC, CDI) and anthropometric indicator of nutritional status (BMI) were assessed before and after treatment.

Results

BMI improved only in the TDCS + AU group (P < 0.01). Mean BMI percentage of improvement was 14.43% + 10.8 in the TDCS + AU and 4.83% ± 5.4 in the FT + AU. Both groups improved in the total scores of the EDI, EAT-26, MASC and CDI scales (all P < 0.01).

Conclusions

tDCS treatment improved BMI values more than classical treatment and determined comparable to the classical treatment improvement in the psychopathological scales. This results may be an important starting point to further explore the beneficial effect of brain based treatments for AN.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Type
e-Poster Viewing: Eating Disorders
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 41 , Issue S1: Abstract of the 25th European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2017 , pp. S548
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2017
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