BrainsWay Deep TMS: “a Promising Treatment for Obesity”
Caused weight loss, a decrease in food craving and an improvement in biological ratings in a preliminary study of obesity.
JERUSALEM – June 20th, 2016 – BrainsWay Ltd (TASE:BRIN), the leader in the development of advanced noninvasive treatments for brain disorders, announced the results of a preliminary study on obesity treatment. A double blind sham controlled study held in San Donato Milanese hospital in Milan, Italy, examined the safety and efficacy of obesity treatment using BrainsWay Deep TMS. The study results were published by head researcher Prof. Livio Luzi and presented in the conference of the American Diabetes Association held this June in New Orleans, US.
The study included 16 participants suffering from obesity (BMI = 34.7±4) – 5 men and 11 women. Prior to the study, the participants were randomly divided into 3 groups – the first containing 8 patients treated with a high frequency stimulation (18 hz), the second containing 3 patients treated with low frequency stimulation (1 Hz), and the third containing 5 patients who received sham treatment.
The treatment consisted of bilateral stimulation or sham treatment above the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the insula, in a total of 15 daily sessions, comprising 3 weekly sessions over 5 weeks. Before each session, a few patients in each group were exposed to food photos, while others were not.
The effect of the treatment on the participants was assessed using standard parameters, including weight changes, food craving and changes in metabolic and hormonal rates, documented before treatment, after, and in a follow up session after 4 weeks.
The results showed that in the group treated with high frequency, there was a significant improvement compared to other groups. Immediately after the treatment, there was a substantial and statistically significant decrease in weight (3.6-4.5%), food craving (37-40%) and various biological ratings (such as glucose, cholesterol and cortisol). The patients in this group continued to lose weight, and in checks held one month after treatment completion, there was a substantial and statistically significant decline in weight (4.5-6.2%) and food craving (34-38%).
The researcher’s conclusion was that high frequency stimulation using Deep TMS causes weight loss, a decrease in food craving and an improvement in various biological ratings in obese people, and is therefore a promising treatment for this condition.
