LB090 - A FEASIBILITY TRIAL OF MINDFULNESS TRAINING WITH REAL OR SHAM TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION (TDCS) IN ADULTS WITH OVERWEIGHT OR OBESITY

LB090

A FEASIBILITY TRIAL OF MINDFULNESS TRAINING WITH REAL OR SHAM TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION (TDCS) IN ADULTS WITH OVERWEIGHT OR OBESITY

M. Ageeli^1,*, M. Flynn¹, M. lopes¹, B. ince¹, D. Alves², S. westwood³, I. Campbell¹, U. Schmidt^1,4

¹Centre for Research in Eating and Weight Disorders (CREW), Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, ²Guy's and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, ³Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience, King's College London, ⁴South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, london, United Kingdom

Rationale: Maladaptive eating behaviours, such as food craving and overeating, contribute significantly to the development and maintenance of obesity. Brain-directed interventions, including mindfulness training (MT) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), have independently shown potential in reducing these behaviours. The MINDED trial investigated the feasibility, acceptability, and tolerability of combining app-based MT with self-administered tDCS in adults with overweight or obesity.

Methods: This was a double-blind, randomised, sham-controlled feasibility trial. Adults with a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² were randomised into one of three groups: (1) MT with active tDCS, (2) MT with sham tDCS, or (3) a waiting list control. Participants in the intervention arms completed daily app-based MT over eight weeks and received ten sessions of either active or sham tDCS during the first three weeks, with MT delivered concurrently on stimulation days. Feasibility outcomes included recruitment, retention, and follow-up rates. Acceptability was determined by monitoring side-effects and by participant ratings. Secondary outcomes included assessing clinical and neurocognitive outcomes (e.g., body fat percentage and working memory).

Results: The study successfully recruited 52 participants, representing 78% of its prespecified target sample. The intervention completion rate within the active and sham groups was 83.3%, with an 8-week follow-up rate of 84.6%. Treatment acceptability was high (100%), and no serious adverse events were reported. The most commonly reported side effects during tDCS were mild tingling and itching at the electrode sites. Clinical outcomes are currently being analysed and will be presented.

Conclusion: The combined delivery of app-based mindfulness training with self-administered tDCS is feasible, acceptable, and well tolerated in adults with overweight or obesity. Clinical outcomes will also be discussed.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared