By: Denise Chow, LiveScience Staff Writer
Published: 04/26/2013 09:18 AM EDT on LiveScience
The brain may not seem like an obvious place to look for possible treatments for obesity, but researchers say implanting a device that stimulates a specific region of the brain may help curb the compulsion to overeat.
The new study on obese mice found that deep brain stimulation (DBS), which involves implanting a device that sends electrical impulses to precise targets in the brain, may reduce binge eating and other obesity-related behaviors.
"Once replicated in human clinical trials, DBS could rapidly become a treatment for people with obesity due to the extensive groundwork already established in other disease areas," lead author Casey Halpern, a resident in the department of neurosurgery at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, said in a statement. [8 Reasons Our Waistlines Are Expanding]
At first, the idea of using brain implants to treat obesity seemed farfetched, said Tracy Bale, an associate professor of neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine, and one of the senior authors of the study.
"We had a long discussion about it, and my initial thought was: who on Earth is going to get brain surgery for obesity?" Bale told LiveScience.
But, the researchers were interested in targeting a part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens, which is a small structure in the brain's reward center that is already known to play a part in addictive behaviors, such as binge eating.
"The things that drive people to overeat are part of the reward system," Bale explained. "So, for example, if someone is under a lot of stress, or if they had a bad day, they might reward themselves with food. And bingeing is a component strongly linked with obesity."
Since binge eating and other obesity-related behaviors have been linked to deficits of a chemical called dopamine, the researchers used deep brain stimulation to activate the dopamine type-2 receptor in the nucleus accumbens of mice.
"Mice are just like humans — they love high-fat food," Bale said.
In the experiment, mice were given unlimited access to low-calorie fare, but for one hour each day, they were offered food that was high in fat.
"Within two days, they learned that we take that food away, so they gorged themselves and ate as much as they could," Bale said.
After undergoing deep brain stimulation, however, the mice ate significantly less of the high-fat food, compared with mice that received no such treatment; the treated mice also didn't compensate for the loss of calories by eating more food.
After several days of constant stimulation, the devices were turned off, and the mice resumed their binge-eating behavior.
If deep brain stimulation is eventually used to treat people with obesity, the devices could be switched on constantly, and the strength of the electrical impulses could be adjusted, depending on the individual patient's needs, Bale said. This type of treatment may also be an alternative to risky bariatric surgery, and may be more effective than available pharmaceutical options, Bale said.
"It sounds intimidating, but for this type of surgery, the morbidity rate is much less," she said. "And this could be something for patients who don't respond to drugs. Many drug companies are trying to target obesity by getting people to not feel hungry, but that doesn't work. People aren't overeating because they're hungry. They're eating because it tastes good, or makes them feel better. This treatment taps directly into that reward system."
Deep brain stimulation is already used as a way to help reduce tremors in patients with Parkinson's disease, and scientists are investigating its therapeutic benefits for obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression.
Follow Denise Chow on Twitter @denisechow. Follow LiveScience @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.com.
Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.