STUDY PROTOCOL article
Front. Hum. Neurosci.
Sec. Brain Imaging and Stimulation
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2025.1612062
Modulating Food Craving-Related Neural Oscillations Using tACS: Study Protocol for a Randomized Sham-Controlled Trial
Provisionally accepted
Milos Ljubisavljevic1*
Fransina C. King1
Fatima Yousif Ismail2
Yauhen Statsenko3Shahid Bashir4Osama Abdullah5
Bas Rokers5- 1Department of Physiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
- 2Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
- 3Department of Radiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
- 4Neurosciences Center, King Fahad Specialist Hospital Dammam, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
- 5Center of Brain and Health, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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Introduction: Food addiction is characterized by heightened craving and impaired inhibitory control, contributing to compulsive eating and obesity. Existing behavioral and pharmacological interventions often fail to achieve lasting effects. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), by modulating neural oscillations and connectivity, offers a novel, non-invasive approach for regulating craving-related neural circuits.Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the effects of fixed-frequency tACS targeting the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and insula on food cravings, inhibitory control, and related neural oscillations. The trial will assess whether tACS can reduce craving intensity and enhance inhibitory performance in individuals with varying degrees of food addiction severity.Methods: We will conduct a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial involving 175 participants aged 20-55 years, stratified by food addiction status (FA+ vs. FA-) using the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS 2.0). Participants will receive tACS at alpha (10 Hz) or theta (6 Hz) frequency over the DLPFC, ACC, or insula for seven consecutive days. Electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) will be conducted pre-and post-intervention. Primary outcomes include changes in craving intensity and inhibitory control. Secondary outcomes include alterations in neural oscillations and functional connectivity.Discussion: We hypothesize that theta-tACS over the ACC and insula will enhance inhibitory control and interoceptive awareness, while alpha-tACS over the DLPFC will improve top-down regulatory processes. This protocol aims to clarify the neural mechanisms underlying food cravings and evaluate tACS as a promising intervention for compulsive eating.
Keywords: food craving, TACs, fMRI, DLPFC, insula, anterior cingulate cortex
Received: 17 Apr 2025; Accepted: 08 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ljubisavljevic, King, Ismail, Statsenko, Bashir, Abdullah and Rokers. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Milos Ljubisavljevic, Department of Physiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
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