Background: Food craving is a strong temptation and motivation to eat foods. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive method of stimulating or inhibiting specific areas in the cortex of brain. In this study we investigated the efficacy of tDCS on patients with food craving. Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 30 patients with food craving. The intervention group (15 patients) received 2mA direct electrical stimulation for 20 minutes. The control group (15 patients) only received sham tDCS. The patients were assessed using standardized Food Craving Questioner (FCQ-S, FCQ-T). Results: There was no significant difference in the mean FCQ-T and FCQ-S scores between the two study groups. After the study, the mean FCQ-T score was significantly lower in the intervention group as compared to the control group. Similarly, the mean FCQ-S score in the intervention group was lower than the control group, and the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, tDCS showed to be efficient in controlling food craving.

Repeated diet failure leading to lowered self-esteem, a sense of guilt and even self-hatred. Studies have suggested that attentional biases for food cues may play an essential role in the development and the maintenance of maladaptive eating behaviors. This research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of attentional bias modification Food-Related stimuli and food craving in dieters. The method was quasi-experimental with two-group pretest-posttest design. 30 people were selected based on the inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to the two groups of experiment and control. The experimental group received the intervention attentional bias modification training. To measure attentional bias and interventions Dot-probe task test (MacLeod et al, 1986) and to measure food craving, Food Craving Questionnaire (Cepeda-Benito, 2000) were used respectively. The results indicated that there was a significant difference between two groups in attention bias and food craving in the pre-test and post-test. The results also showed that there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the dimensions of intention and planning to consume food, anticipation of positive reinforcement, anticipation of relief from negative feelings, lack of control over eating, thoughts or preoccupation with food, emotions before or during food craving and guilt from craving (P<0/05).

Introduction: Food craving is a strong tendency for foods consumption unnecessarily that can be a source of eating disorders. The aim of this study was to compare the effectveness of Schema Therapy and Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation (tDCS) in this field. Method: A semi-experimental design by two groups (pre-test, post-test with two-month follow-up) was administered. The treatment was preformed in two methods of tDCS (six sessions in 20 minute) and schema therapy (12 sessions of 45 minutes per week). The population consisted of people with food cravings. After screening, 40 subjects (12 males and 28 females) were selected by convenience sampling and randomly divided into two experimental groups. Craving was also measured by the Food Craving Questionnaire of Meule and colleagues. Data were analyzed by repeated measure ANOVA. Results: There was no significant difference between the two treatments in reducing craving symptoms (F= 0. 64, P> 0. 05). A significant difference observed for craving scores over time between post-test, and follow-up stages (F> 69. 39> P> 0. 05). Conclusion: The results showed that the effectiveness of both methods in reducing food craving syndrome was the same. As a result, no single method is effective in reducing food cravings, and regarding tDCS minimal side effects it is recommended that tDCS be used as a complementary therapeutic therapy in this area. Schema therapy can also be used as a preventive intervenion to weaken maladaptive schemas at the outset.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to test the mediating role of food craving and emotional processing in the relationship between sensitivity to reward and punishment and food addiction. Method: This study was descriptive and correlational in design. The statistical population included obese individuals who were referred to nutrition clinics in Tehran in the spring and summer of 2023. A total of 357 participants were selected through the convenience sampling method. Body Mass Index, the Yale Food Addiction Scale (Gerhard, 2009), Sensitivity to Punishment and Reward Questionnaire (Conner, 2018), Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait (Sepda Benito, 2000), and Emotional Processing Scale (Baker, 2007) were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling through AMOS 24 software. Results: The model had a good fit with the observed data. The coefficient of the direct path between sensitivity to punishment and food addiction was negative and significant. The indirect effect of sensitivity to punishment on food addiction was negatively mediated by food craving and positively and significantly mediated by emotional processing. The indirect effect of sensitivity to reward on food addiction was positively mediated by food craving and negatively and significantly mediated by emotional processing. Conclusion: It seems that emotional processing problems, food craving, and sensitivity to punishment and reward play a significant role in the etiology and continuation of pathological eating, and focusing on the interaction of these factors can be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of eating problems in overweight and obese individuals.

Purpose: Food security is a critical global challenge that is influenced by research and innovation in the field. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyze the scientific output of developing countries in food security and examine its relationship with patents and Gross Domestic Product (GDP).Methodology: This applied research utilized the Scientometric approach. A total of 8,416 papers published between 1992-2023 in the field of food security by developing countries were included in the study using citation databases from Clarivate Analytics. Additionally, patent registrations from the WIPO database and GDP data from the World Bank were analyzed. Information was collected through note-taking, and the data was analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient.Findings: The findings reveal an upward trend in the publication and citation of scientific outputs related to food security in developing countries. China has higher numbers of papers, patents, GDP, and food production index compared to Iran, Japan, and South Korea. There is also a positive correlation observed between population and the number of papers, gross production and the number of papers, food production and the number of published papers, as well as the number of patents and papers citing scientific outputs of countries.Conclusion: These results highlight the significant relationship between increasing scientific output, GDP, the number of patents, and food security. Greater emphasis on food security contributes to enhanced scientific output, GDP, and innovation. Similarly, increasing scientific output, GDP, and innovation positively impact food security in countries.Value: This study emphasizes the importance of scientific outputs in driving technological advancements, innovations, and ultimately, ensuring food security in developing countries.

Background and Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on food craving, attention bias to food, and cognitive flexibility in people with an eating disorder. Materials and Methods: This is a pilot study with pre-test and post-test design and a control group. The study population consisted of 40 persons with an eating disorder who were purposefully selected using Binge Eating Scale, General Health Questionnaire, and clinical interview based on DSM-5 criteria. The participants were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. A pre-test was performed using a craving questionnaire, cognitive flexibility questionnaire, and food bias assessment tool based on the dot-prob paradigm. The intervention consisted of 10 sessions of two milliampere tDCS in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) area. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software (version 23) through multivariate analysis of covariance. Results: Based on the obtained results, tDCS treatment had a significant effect on food bias, cognitive flexibility, and food craving in people with overeating disorder (P≤ 0. 05). Moreover, the results remained stable at the 45-day follow-up after the posttest. Conclusions: Based on the results, the tDCS method along with other major therapeutic and psychological interventions can be effective in binge eating disorder. Therefore, the tDCS method can be promising and helpful as a suitable treatment modality with few side effects along with other major therapeutic interventions for patients with binge eating disorders.