Brain stimulation plus thinking-skills training to reduce impulsive eating and weight in veterans with obesity
Official title: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) with Cognitive Training to Reduce Impulsivity and Weight in Veterans with Obesity: A Clinical Trial
Funded at Minneapolis VA Medical Center · NIH-11269172 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tries gentle brain stimulation together with thinking-skills exercises to help veterans with obesity reduce impulsive eating and lose weight.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Minneapolis VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2022 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01CX002121-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11269172 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are veterans with obesity who report impulsive or disinhibited eating and who can attend in-person treatment visits at the study site.
✕Less likely to help
People without impulsivity-related eating problems, those currently enrolled in conflicting weight-loss interventions, or those unable to come for onsite visits may not receive benefit from this specific protocol.
What this research studies
You would receive short sessions of noninvasive transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) aimed at the prefrontal cortex while doing computer-based exercises that train decision-making and self-control. Treatments are delivered daily for several consecutive days and the protocol includes a sham (inactive) comparison so effects can be compared. The program pairs stimulation with tasks such as the balloon analog risk task to practice executive control during stimulation. Researchers will track changes in impulsivity, appetite-related behavior, and body weight over follow-up.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help veterans improve self-control around food and achieve greater weight loss than standard approaches alone.
How similar studies have gone: Previous small studies show tDCS and cognitive training are safe and can improve executive function, but combining them for weight loss is relatively new and not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
-
Minneapolis VA Medical Center
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sibley, Shalamar D — Minneapolis VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Sibley, Shalamar D
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.