tVNS and Obesity-related Mechanisms

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF BONN · Apr 29, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

Participants will receive high intensity or low intensity tVNS in a single-blind, randomized, crossover design. Each stimulation (high and low intensity) will be applied over 14 days (effective minimum duration) at home by the participants, with a 7-day (effective minimum duration) washout period in between the conditions. To assess the effect of high (vs. low intensity) stimulation on inflammation and mood/motivation, the investigators plan to use a combination of blood analysis, ecological momentary assessments (EMA), and neuroimaging sessions. To this end, the investigators will apply fu...

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Between 18 and 40 years of age
• • BMI between 27 and 35.0 kg/m2
• • Legally valid declaration of consent
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Current or past diagnosis of brain injury/surgery or neurological condition with permanent effects, epilepsy, stroke, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe substance use disorder, heart disease that precludes use of tVNS, diabetes (type 1 or 2), chronic inflammatory diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, etc.)
• • Following diagnosis within 12 months before start of experiment: obsessive compulsive disorder, somatic symptom disorder, eating disorder
• • Considerable weight change (\>10%) within the last 6 months before the experiment
• • Elevated BMI is due to fat-free mass (e.g., in athletes)
• • Medication or Electroconvulsive therapy to treat a mental, metabolic, or neurological disorder (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, Glucagon-like Peptide-1 agonists) currently or in the last 3 months (hormone treatments that normalize function are not excluded)
• • Anti-inflammatory medication currently or in the last 3 month
• • Contraindications for MRI (e.g., metal implants, claustrophobia)
• • Contraindications for tVNS (e.g., piercings, sore or diseased skin areas on the outer right ear)
• • active implants (e.g., pacemaker), cerebral shunt
• • Pregnant and breastfeeding women