Non-Invasive Temporal Interference Brain Stimulation

Brain stimulation techniques are used to modulate brain activity as well as to enhance brain function. These techniques are becoming popular since they show therapeutic possibilities in treating the symptoms of psychiatric disorders. Invasive techniques can target deeper brain regions more effectively than non-invasive techniques but with potential significant risks. In this work, we introduce temporal interference stimulation (TIS), which can non-invasively alter brain activity in deep brain areas. We demonstrate the potential of TIS using computational neuromodeling. The simulation applies two independent electric fields generated by forcing high frequency alternating currents, which will intersect deep inside the brain and can modulate neural activity in brain. We simulated this technique by constructing and solving finite element brain models. In addition, a post-processing technique has been developed for visualizing the region of Temporal Interference in the human head.  Our simulation results illustrate the influence of type of electrode, intensity of alternating current and spatial position of electrode in TIS providing vital insights towards developing human brain applications of this innovative technique in treating Parkinson’s disease, depression, schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders. This technique can potentially open up a safe, effective and interesting area in the field of brain stimulation from clinical viewpoint. This work has been carried out under WISER Program, Translational Psychiatry Lab, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.