# Pilot study of responsive nucleus accumbens deep brain stimulation for loss-of-control eating

## TL;DR

This pilot study shows that responsive deep brain stimulation in the nucleus accumbens may help people with binge eating disorder regain control over food intake and lose weight.

## Contribution

The study introduces responsive DBS in the nucleus accumbens guided by electrophysiological signals during food cravings in BED patients.

## Key findings

- Increased low-frequency oscillations in the nucleus accumbens were observed during food cravings.
- DBS guided by these signals improved self-control of food intake and led to weight loss in two patients.
- The results suggest potential for restoring inhibitory control in BED using electrophysiology-guided DBS.

## Abstract

Cravings that precede loss of control (LOC) over food consumption present an opportunity for intervention in patients with the binge eating disorder (BED). In this pilot study, we used responsive deep brain stimulation (DBS) to record nucleus accumbens (NAc) electrophysiology during food cravings preceding LOC eating in two patients with BED and severe obesity (trial registration no. NCT03868670). Increased NAc low-frequency oscillations, prominent during food cravings, were used to guide DBS delivery. Over 6 months, we observed improved self-control of food intake and weight loss. These findings provide early support for restoring inhibitory control with electrophysiologically-guided NAc DBS. Further work with increased sample sizes is required to determine the scalability of this approach.

Nucleus accumbens, low-frequency, responsive deep brain stimulation improved self-control of food intake and weight loss in two patients with binge eating disorder and severe obesity