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Ester-Nacke, T. ; Kullmann, S.

Neurobiological regulation of eating behavior: Evidence based on non-invasive brain stimulation.

Rev. Endocr. Metab. Disord., DOI: 10.1007/s11154-021-09697-3 (2021)
Publ. Version/Full Text Research data DOI PMC
Open Access Gold (Paid Option)
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The prefrontal cortex is appreciated as a key neurobiological player in human eating behavior. A special focus is herein dedicated to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), which is critically involved in executive function such as cognitive control over eating. Persons with obesity display hypoactivity in this brain area, which is linked to overconsumption and food craving. Contrary to that, higher activity in the DLPFC is associated with successful weight-loss and weight-maintenance. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive neurostimulation tool used to enhance self-control and inhibitory control. The number of studies using tDCS to influence eating behavior rapidly increased in the last years. However, the effectiveness of tDCS is still unclear, as studies show mixed results and individual differences were shown to be an important factor in the effectiveness of non-invasive brain stimulation. Here, we describe the current state of research of human studies using tDCS to influence food intake, food craving, subjective feeling of hunger and body weight. Excitatory stimulation of the right DLPFC seems most promising to reduce food cravings to highly palatable food, while other studies provide evidence that stimulating the left DLPFC shows promising effects on weight loss and weight maintenance, especially in multisession approaches. Overall, the reported findings are heterogeneous pointing to large interindividual differences in tDCS responsiveness.
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Publication type Article: Journal article
Document type Review
Corresponding Author
Keywords Cognitive Control ; Dlpfc ; Eating Behavior ; Food Craving ; Neurostimulation ; Obesity ; Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
ISSN (print) / ISBN 1389-9155
e-ISSN 1573-2606
Journal Reviews in Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders
Publisher Springer
Publishing Place Boston
Non-patent literature Publications
Reviewing status Peer reviewed
Institute(s) Institute of Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases (IDM)