Stramba-Badiale, C., Mancuso, V., Cavedoni, S., Pedroli, E., Cipresso, P., & Riva, G. (2020). Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Meets Virtual Reality: The Potential of Integrating Brain Stimulation With a Simulative Technology for Food Addiction. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 14
, 720. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2020.00720
From the research article’s abstract: “The aim of this perspective is to propose and discuss the integration of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with virtual reality (VR) food exposure for therapeutic interventions for food addiction. “Food addiction” is a dysfunctional eating pattern which is typically observed in eating disorders (ED) such as bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. Food addiction has been compared to substance use disorder due to the necessity of consuming a substance (food) and the presence of a dependence behavior. In recent years, VR has been applied in the treatment of ED because it triggers psychological and physiological responses through food exposure in place of real stimuli.