Cerebellar tDCS Stimulation in Children and Adult Women With Anorexia Nervosa Disorder- A Pilot Study
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Summary
Hypothesis: Will the use of tDCS brain modulation in the cerebellum assist in restricted behaviors, social cognition and cognitive flexibility in women with anorexia nervosa in addition to other therapies? Primary Outcomes: 1. To observe the impacts and outcomes of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on social behaviors measured by Cyberball and Trust Game. 2. To observe the neuropsychological impacts of cerebellar tDCS through fMRI imaging as well as looking at the Region of Interest (ROI) of changes in the Default Mode Network and Cerebellum circuits and their activation levels in those networks. Secondary Outcomes: 1.To observe the impacts and outcome of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) measuring the differences between anodal and cathodal stimulation. To observe potential increases in responses to social stimuli, decreases in eating disorder/depressive symptomology via cathodal stimulation. To also observe potential little to no changes in social stimuli and eating disorder/depressive symptomology via anodal stimulation.
Description
The study will be randomized, single blind design. It will involve a group of 15 female participants ranging in the ages of 15-30 years old diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa. Diagnosis will be confirmed by recruitment methods of in-clinic referrals. Each participant will undergo the two different electrode stimulations of the tDCS. Each participant will get anodal and cathodal stimulation. The participants will be unaware of which one they are getting during stimulation, but the researcher will be informed of which stimulation is occurring. The participant will receive 1mA stimulation of the tDC…