Opportunities and obstacles in non-invasive brain stimulation

Journal article

Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) is a complex and multifaceted approach to modulating brain activity and holds the potential for broad accessibility. This work discusses the mechanisms of the four distinct approaches to modulating brain activity non-invasively: electrical currents, magnetic fields, light, and ultrasound. We examine the dual stochastic and deterministic nature of brain activity and its implications for NIBS, highlighting the challenges posed by inter-individual variability, nebulous dose-response relationships, potential biases and neuroanatomical heterogeneity. Looking forward, we propose five areas of opportunity for future research: closed-loop stimulation, consistent stimulation of the intended target region, reducing bias, multimodal approaches, and strategies to address low sample sizes

Authors: Toth, J; Kurtin, DL; Brosnan, M; Arvaneh, M

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Frontiers Media
• Journal: Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
• Volume: 18
• Pages: 1385427-1385427
• Article number: 1385427
• Publication date: 2024-03-18
• DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1385427
• EISSN: 1662-5161
• ISSN: 1662-5161
• Language: English
• Keywords: Stimulation; Electroencephalography; Brain stimulation; Dual (grammatical number); Computer science; Brain activity and meditation; Psychology; Neuroscience; Electrical brain stimulation; Transcranial magnetic stimulation