'Smart Weight Reduction': Scientists Suggest Brain Stimulation to Treat Obesity

Russian scientists have developed a new way to treat childhood obesity. The answer to the pressing global issue reportedly lies in electromagnetic exposure to the brain.

A research group based at the Saratov State Medical University (SGMU) has analyzed a new concept of noninvasive brain stimulation for obese children.

The combination of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) led to a significant increase in previously low hormone levels (testosterone and β-endorphin), and vice versa.

This prompted lower appetites and body weight. The results have been published in the Russian Open Medical Journal.

Today, the number of overweight people is going up and obesity has become a global problem. Scientists point out that childhood obesity is exacerbated during puberty. In adults, it leads to early disability and mortality. Experts say that the issue could be largely attributed to our modern lifestyle, including too much sugar, fast food, and lack of exercise.

Obesity is a recognized disease, which greatly increases the need for food and disrupts eating patterns. A person may feel compeled to eat away the stress, binge later in the day, and overeat in a social setting. Therapy aimed at treating eating disorders (EDs) looks at implementing not just a dietary, but also a lifestyle change as a whole.

Yet, SGMU researchers noted that sometimes such measures are simply not enough. “We can see a keen interest for the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in hunger regulation and saturation processes. Applying hardware methods to influence these brain structures with various potentials is quite promising. This, in turn, can lead to appetite and weight reduction,” noted Nina V. Bolotova, a professor at the Department of Propaedeutics of Child Diseases, Child Endocrinology and Diabetology, SGMU.

Prof. Bolotova clarified that noninvasive brain stimulation includes both TMS and TES, and the two combined.

The SGMU press-center said that transcranial stimulation of certain brain structures affecting appetite is carried out through devices that create a running magnetic field, together with electrical stimulation. These devices were co-developed with local Saratov-based manufacturers.

“Our methods for treating obesity using hardware alongside dietary therapy lead to a significant improvement in metabolism and weight loss in patients,” the professor summarized. The scholars are now pursuing further research within an internal SGMU grant.