Neuromodulatory techniques in eating disorders: From electroconvulsive therapy to transcranial magnetic stimulation and beyond: A mixed method systematic meta-review
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Psychosocial and pharmacological interventions can effectively treat eating disorders (EDs), but improvements are often short-term and modest. Neuromodulation, altering nerve activity through targeted neurological stimulation, is an emerging intervention in neuropsychiatric disorders. This meta-review synthesizes evidence on neuromodulatory techniques in ED patients, identifying research gaps and future directions.
DATA SOURCES: PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, and PsycINFO were searched using relevant terms.
STUDY SELECTION, DATA EXTRACTION, AND SYNTHESIS: Only systematic reviews or meta-analyses reporting on neuromodulatory techniques in ED patients were included. Three evaluators extracted data, resolving discrepancies with two experienced researchers. Study quality was assessed using AMSTAR-2. Defined outcomes and effect sizes were reported for systematic reviews, and pooled effect sizes and heterogeneity information for meta-analyses.
RESULTS: Eighteen systematic reviews (five meta-analyses) were included, with minimal primary study overlap (<5%). Most focused on anorexia nervosa (AN), some on treatment-resistant cases, and others on bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED). The quality of most systematic reviews was critically low, and they often combined observational studies with randomized-controlled trials (RCTs). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) showed promising results in RCTs,…
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