An Initial Investigation of Neural Changes in Overweight Adults with Food Cravings after Emotional Freedom Techniques

February 27, 2019 Food Cravings and Weight Loss

Citation: Stapleton P, Buchan C, Mitchell I, McGrath Y, Gorton P, Carter B. An Initial Investigation of Neural Changes in Overweight Adults with Food Cravings after Emotional Freedom Techniques. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine 2019;4(1):14; doi:10.21926/obm.icm.1901010.

Link to full paper:  https://bit.ly/2UaSX8H 

A randomised controlled trial looking into brain activation in response to food cravings stimuli using fMRI scans. EFT used with 15 overweight adults and a control group. Measure of food cravings used. Random repeating images of high-calorie food designed to engage parts of the brain were presented during the pre and post fMRI scans.

The Group x Time interaction for food cravings were significant for the EFT group when compared to the controls. Participant mean scores decreased by 18% for the EFT group and 5% for the control group. Brain activity was mapped using fMRI measures, and there was relative deactivation in the Superior Temporal Gyrus and lateral orbito-frontal cortex for the EFT treatment group only. The control group however, showed continued activation in these areas.

Findings indicate EFT may decrease limbic region brain activity and reduce food related symptoms in overweight/obese individuals. This study also illuminates the neurological mechanisms at work behind the many successful outcome studies of EFT for weight loss. Recommendations for more comprehensive trials are discussed.

Summary courtesy of Craig Weiner, The Science of Tapping