Innovative aftercare for long-term weight loss success after gastric reduction
Study by Magdeburg University Medicine combines brain stimulation and psychosocial support for sustainable weight loss.
For many affected individuals, the path to lasting weight loss after a gastric reduction remains a challenge. A research project at the University Hospital for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy in Magdeburg could now change this: The study examines an innovative aftercare concept that combines targeted brain stimulation with a cognitive control task and psychosocial aftercare. The goal is to influence the cognitive and emotional causes of pathological obesity to ensure the long-term success of the operation. The interdisciplinary project is funded by the German Center for Mental Health (DZPG).
The focus of the study is on transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive method that stimulates the brain with mild electrical impulses. This method is already successfully used in the treatment of depression and in rehabilitation after strokes. In the current study, tDCS is used in combination with a cognitive control task to activate the brain areas responsible for impulse control and eating and movement behavior. These functions are often altered in people with morbid obesity. During the stimulation sessions, the patients learn to better control their eye movements towards tempting foods. Additionally, all participants take part in a psychosocial aftercare group led by a psychologist and a nutrition therapist. This combination of cognitive, psychological, and neurobiological approaches is intended to help patients achieve a long-term lifestyle change. Especially in the first two years after a gastric reduction, comprehensive aftercare is crucial to prevent relapses into old, undesirable behavior patterns. During this period, the study now offers a comprehensive therapy program for the first time.
To tailor the aftercare as precisely as possible, previously operated patients were actively involved in the development of the study design through surveys. "Until now, follow-up care after gastric reductions was limited to surgical and nutritional therapy checks." Our new concept expands this by adding a cognitive and psychosocial component that comprehensively considers the complex causes of obesity. "This is how we want to enable sustainable weight reduction," explains Prof. Dr. med. Florian Junne, head of the University Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy in Magdeburg and project leader of the study. With the study, the University Hospital for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy is making an important contribution to improving post-operative care after gastric reduction and thereby underscores the significance of the Obesity Center Magdeburg. "We are proud to be able to offer our patients such innovative and holistic aftercare, which is unique in our region," adds Professor Junne.
The research project is being carried out in close collaboration between the University Clinics for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Neurology, as well as General, Visceral, Vascular, and Transplantation Surgery of the University Medicine Magdeburg. Together, they aim to significantly improve the aftercare for people with pathological obesity and achieve long-term recovery.
German Center for Mental Health (DZPG)
The University Medicine Magdeburg is part of the Central German site Halle-Jena-Magdeburg of the German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), which researches innovative approaches to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illnesses. The DZPG brings together the expertise of 27 research institutions at six locations in Germany. The focus at the Halle-Jena-Magdeburg site is on the investigation of brain networks that are disrupted by immunological processes, metabolic disorders, or injuries and can trigger problematic behavior.
Scientific contact
Prof. Dr. med. Florian Junne, Director of the University Hospital for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Tel.: 0391/67-14200,