Validation of a non-invasive neuromodulation system with high temporal precision guided by neural oscillations in real time with relevance for the treatment of depression

• Grant number: 24/15007-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Psychiatry
• Principal Investigator: Andre Russowsky Brunoni
• Grantee: Danilo Benette Marques
• Host Institution: Instituto de Psiquiatria Doutor Antonio Carlos Pacheco e Silva (IPq). Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP (HCFMUSP). Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 19/06009-6 - Non-implantable neuromodulation therapies: a perspective for the depressed brain, AP.TEM

Abstract

Non-invasive brain stimulation therapies, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial electrical current stimulation (tES), are promising alternatives for treating depression. In recent years, a variant of TMS, intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) over the prefrontal cortex, has gained prominence. In this scenario, individualized neuromodulation strategies, aiming for greater anatomical precision, via magnetic resonance imaging and neuronavigation, or temporal precision, guided by electroencephalography (EEG) and analysis of neural oscillations, have demonstrated potentially even greater efficacy than conventional methods. In the context of depression, while individualization approaches have focused on anatomical precision, the impact of optimizing temporal precision remains unexplored. Given this relevance, the Multi-User Equipment: "Non-invasive neuromodulation system with high spatiotemporal precision guided by functional biomarkers in real time (2022/11557-5)" was granted. The objective of this project is to validate the main temporal functionalities of TMS and tES guided by EEG: a) frequency-tuning between rhythmic stimulations and individual endogenous oscillations, b) entrainment of endogenous oscillations by rhythmic stimulations, and c) state-dependent triggering at moments of greater excitability and plasticity, with the ultimate goal of developing a method of individualized iTBS with high temporal precision adjusted in real-time. As part of the project, BEPE activities are planned at the University of Toronto, a reference center in the use of EEG for optimized neuromodulation.