Alexander Opitz awarded NIH funds to advance transcranial magnetic stimulation
October 7, 2024 — A new project at the Department of Biomedical Engineering has received a $4 million grant from the National Institutes of Mental Health to develop innovative transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) technologies that could revolutionize treatment for psychiatric disorders.
The research, led by BME Associate Professor Alexander Opitz and collaborator Arnaud Falchier of the Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, aims to address a critical challenge in current TMS applications by developing and validating a new closed-loop system that adapts to individual brain states in real-time.
TMS, a non-invasive technique that stimulates specific brain areas, has shown promise in treating conditions such as depression and anxiety. However, TMS outcomes often vary widely among patients, partly due to the lack of personalized targeting of brain activity.
Harnessing AI
This project proposes a novel solution: using real-time electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings of brain oscillations and new AI-based algorithms to inform the timing and location of TMS delivery in the prefrontal cortex. By tailoring TMS stimulation to the brain's current state, the research team hopes to achieve more consistent and effective results.
"Current TMS protocols don't adapt to the dynamic nature of brain activity, which may explain the variability in clinical outcomes," said Alexander Opitz. "By implementing a closed-loop system that responds to real-time brain signals, we aim to improve TMS targeting and enhance its therapeutic potential."
Optimizing therapeutic effects
This research will utilize advanced EEG techniques to identify the brain's response to TMS, aiming to establish reliable markers of target engagement in the prefrontal cortex. These findings will help refine the delivery of TMS and optimize its therapeutic effects by aligning stimulation with specific brain states.
Ultimately, the researchers hope to develop more effective, personalized TMS protocols that could be implemented in clinical settings for the treatment of psychiatric disorders, particularly those involving dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex.