16 Noninvasive deep brain stimulation via delivery of temporally interfering electric fields

2020 ◽  
Vol 91 (8) ◽  
pp. e6.3-e7
Author(s):  
Nir Grossman
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Dynamic Range ◽  
Imperial College ◽  
Network Activity ◽  
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology ◽  
Neural Firing ◽  
Institute Of Technology ◽  
The Brain

Nir is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) at Imperial College London and a founding fellow of the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK-DRI). The long-term goal of his research is to develop neuromodulatory interventions for neurodegenerative diseases by direct modulation of the underlying aberrant network activity. Nir received a BSc in Physics from the Israeli Institute of Technology (Technion), an MSc in Electromagnetic Engineering from the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg, and a PhD in Neuroscience from Imperial College London. He then completed a postdoc training, as a Wellcome Trust Fellow, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University. Nir was recently awarded the prestige prize for Neuromodulation from the Science magazine for describing how temporal interfering of kHz electric fields can non-invasively stimulate focal neural structures deep in the brain.Electrical brain stimulation is a key technique in research and clinical neuroscience studies, and also is in increasingly widespread use from a therapeutic standpoint. However, to date all methods of electrical stimulation of the brain either require surgery to implant an electrode at a defined site, or involve the application of non-focal electric fields to large fractions of the brain. We report a noninvasive strategy for electrically stimulating neurons at depth. By delivering to the brain multiple electric fields at frequencies too high to recruit neural firing, but which differ by a frequency within the dynamic range of neural firing, we can electrically stimulate neurons throughout a region where interference between the multiple fields results in a prominent electric field envelope modulated at the difference frequency. We validated this temporal interference (TI) concept via modeling and physics experiments, and verified that neurons in the living mouse brain could follow the electric field envelope. We demonstrate the utility of TI stimulation by stimulating neurons in the hippocampus of living mice without recruiting neurons of the overlying cortex. Finally, we show that by altering the currents delivered to a set of immobile electrodes, we can steerably evoke different motor patterns in living mice.

scholarly journals SimNIBS 2.1: A Comprehensive Pipeline for Individualized Electric Field Modelling for Transcranial Brain Stimulation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guilherme B. Saturnino ◽  
Oula Puonti ◽  
Jesper D Nielsen ◽  
Daria Antonenko ◽  
Kristoffer Hougaard H Madsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Head Model ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Field Modelling ◽  
Transcranial Brain Stimulation ◽  
Automated Tools ◽  
Automated Placement ◽  
The Brain

Numerical simulation of the electric fields induced by Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS), using realistic anatomical head models has gained interest in recent years for understanding the NIBS effects in individual subjects. Although automated tools for generating the head models and performing the electric field simulations have become available, individualized modelling is still not standard practice in NIBS studies. This is likely partly explained by the lack of robustness and usability of the previously available software tools, and partly by the still developing understanding of the link between physiological effects and electric field distributions in the brain. To facilitate individualized modelling in NIBS, we have introduced the SimNIBS (Simulation of NIBS) software package, providing easy-to-use automated tools for electric field modelling. In this article, we give an overview of the modelling pipeline in SimNIBS 2.1, with step-by-step examples of how to run a simulation. Furthermore, we demonstrate a set of scripts for extracting average electric fields for a group of subjects, and finally demonstrate the accuracy of automated placement of standard electrode montages on the head model. SimNIBS 2.1 is freely available at www.simnibs.org.

Australia's Internal Air Transport

1963 ◽  
Vol 67 (625) ◽  
pp. 11-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Watkins
Keyword(s):  
Imperial College ◽  
Air Transport ◽  
Civil Aviation ◽  
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology ◽  
Graduate Course ◽  
Lecture Theatre ◽  
The Government ◽  
Institute Of Technology ◽  
British Commonwealth ◽  
Australian Department

The Eighteenth British Commonwealth Lecture, “Australia's Internal Air Transport” by Mr. John L. Watkins, O.B.E., B.E., D.I.C., F.R.Ae.S., Director of Engineering, Trans-Australia Airlines, was given in the Lecture Theatre of the Society on 11th October 1962. The President of the Society, Mr. B. S. Shenstone, M.A.Sc, F.R.Ae.S., F.I.A.S., F.C.A.S.I., presided.Before the lecture Sir Roy Dobson, President of the Society of British Aircraft Constructors, presented certificates of S.B.A.C. University Scholarships to the following who had completed, or were about to complete, their courses: J. M. Chaney (Blackburn Aircraft, College of Aeronautics and Massachusetts Institute of Technology), B. C. Latter (Blackburn Aircraft and College of Aeronautics), R. A. Newnham (Handley Page—College of Aeronautics), R. A. Williamson (A. V. Roe & Co.—College of Aeronautics), D. F. Pilkington (A. V. Roe & Co.— Imperial College), R. J. G. Archer (de Havilland Engine Co.—Imperial College) and C. E. H. Joy (Bristol Siddeley—Imperial College).Introducing the Lecturer, Mr. Shenstone said that unlike many of the lecturers in this series, Mr. Watkins had been raised in the country of which he was to speak. He had taken his degree of Bachelor of Engineering at the University of Adelaide in 1930 and then took a post-graduate course at Imperial College, London. In 1932 he joined Vickers-Armstrongs and worked on early geodetic work under Dr. Barnes Wallis. Returning to Australia in 1934, Mr. Watkins joined the Air Board, which later became the Australian Department of Civil Aviation. During the war Mr. Watkins had worked on special projects for the RAAF in the Australian Department of Aircraft Production, with the Army Inventions Directorate, and on many other projects. When Trans-Australia Airlines was formed in 1946 he was appointed Technical Superintendent and since 1953 had been Director of Engineering. One of the jobs he was most noted for outside Australia was his responsibility for choosing aircraft for TAA and also for British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines when that Airline existed as a separate entity. In 1950 Mr. Watkins had been loaned to the Government of India as Technical Adviser to the Indian Air Transport Inquiry Committee.Mr. Watkins had been awarded the O.B.E. for his services to Australian Civil Aviation in 1958 and had been a Fellow of the Society since 1956. He was a past Chairman of the Melbourne Branch of the Australian Division.

scholarly journals Modelling of the Electric Field Distribution in Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in the Adolescence, in the Adulthood, and in the Old Age

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serena Fiocchi ◽  
Michela Longhi ◽  
Paolo Ravazzani ◽  
Yiftach Roth ◽  
Abraham Zangen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Electric Field ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Depressive Disorders ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Increasing Demand ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Aging People ◽  
The Brain

In the last few years, deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) has been used for the treatment of depressive disorders, which affect a broad category of people, from adolescents to aging people. To facilitate its clinical application, particular shapes of coils, including the so-called Hesed coils, were designed. Given their increasing demand and the lack of studies which accurately characterize their use, this paper aims to provide a picture of the distribution of the induced electric field in four realistic human models of different ages and gender. In detail, the electric field distributions were calculated by using numerical techniques in the brain structures potentially involved in the progression of the disease and were quantified in terms of both amplitude levels and focusing power of the distribution. The results highlight how the chosen Hesed coil (H7 coil) is able to induce the maxima levels ofEmainly in the prefrontal cortex, particularly for the younger model. Moreover, growing levels of induced electric fields with age were found by going in deep in the brain, as well as a major capability to penetrate in the deepest brain structures with an electric field higher than 50%, 70%, and 90% of the peak found in the cortex.

Rebel Genius

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara H. Abraham
Keyword(s):  
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology ◽  
Scientific Investigations ◽  
American Science ◽  
Cognitive Neurosciences ◽  
History Of ◽  
Institutional Contexts ◽  
Institute Of Technology ◽  
Iconic Status ◽  
The University ◽  
The Brain

Warren S. McCulloch (1898-1969) has become an icon of the American cybernetics movement and of current work in the cognitive neurosciences. Much of this legacy stems from his classic 1943 work with Walter Pitts on the logic of neural networks, and from his colourful role as chairman of the Macy Conferences on Cybernetics (1946-1953). This biographical work looks beyond McCulloch’s iconic status by exploring the varied scientific, personal, and institutional contexts of McCulloch’s life. By doing so, the book presents McCulloch as a transdisciplinary investigator who took on many scientific identities beyond that of a cybernetician: scientific philosopher, neurophysiologist, psychiatrist, poet, mentor-collaborator, and engineer, and finally, his public persona towards the end of his life, the rebel genius. The book argues that these identities were neither products of McCulloch’s own will nor were they simply shaped by his institutional contexts. In integrating context and agency, the book as provides a more nuanced and rich understanding of McCulloch’s role in the history of American science as well as the institutional contexts of scientific investigations of the brain and mind: in particular at Yale University, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The book argues that one of McCulloch’s most important contributions was opening up new ways of understanding the brain: no longer simply an object of medical investigation, the brain became the centre of the multidisciplinary neurosciences.

scholarly journals Integrating electric field modelling and neuroimaging to explain inter-individual variability of tACS effects

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian H. Kasten ◽  
Katharina Duecker ◽  
Marike C. Maack ◽  
Arnd Meiser ◽  
Christoph S. Herrmann
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Transcranial Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Field Modelling ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Field Variability

AbstractUnderstanding variability of transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) effects is one of the major challenges in the brain stimulation community. Promising candidates to explain this variability are individual anatomy and the resulting differences of electric fields inside the brain. We integrated individual simulations of electric fields during tES with source-localization to predict variability of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) aftereffects on α-oscillations. In two experiments, participants received 20 minutes of either α-tACS (1 mA) or sham stimulation. Magnetoencephalogram was recorded for 10 minutes before and after stimulation. tACS caused a larger power increase in the α-band as compared to sham. The variability of this effect was significantly predicted by measures derived from individual electric field modelling. Our results directly link electric field variability to variability of tACS outcomes, stressing the importance of individualizing stimulation protocols and providing a novel approach to analyze tACS effects in terms of dose-response relationships.

scholarly journals Le microbiote intestinal de souris, un enjeu majeur dans la reproductibilité des résultats des modèles in vivo

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 609-611
Author(s):  
Benjamin Estavoyer ◽  
Saidi Soudja
Keyword(s):  
Imperial College ◽  
Massachusetts Institute ◽  
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology ◽  
Haut Débit ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Institute Of Technology ◽  
Microbiote Intestinal

Dans le cadre d’un partenariat avec médecine/sciences, et pour la seconde année, des étudiants du module d’immunologie virologie et cancer du Master de cancérologie de Lyon présentent une analyse d’articles scientifiques récents faisant état d’observations innovantes et importantes. Ce travail a été encadré par des chercheurs confirmés du département d’immunologie, virologie et inflammation du CRCL. Le master de cancérologie de Lyon (Lyon1-VetAgroSup) accueille chaque année 30 à 40 étudiants en M1 et en M2. Ce master dit « d’excellence » assure aux étudiants de M1 une formation à la cancérologie reposant sur un socle de base commun (biologie cellulaire, moléculaire, immunologie, bio-statistique…) En M2, les étudiants peuvent choisir l’une des trois spécialités suivantes : le Master recherche « Recherche en cancérologie », le Master recherche et professionnel « Technologie haut débit en cancérologie » et enfin le Master recherche et professionnel « Innovations thérapeutiques en cancérologie ». Le Master de cancérologie de Lyon repose sur une forte implication des chercheurs et enseignants-chercheurs du laboratoire d’excellence en développement et cancérologie (LabEx DEVweCAN), ainsi que sur un partenariat solide avec plusieurs instituts dont le MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, États-Unis), l’université d’Harvard (Boston, États-Unis), l’université Johns Hopkins (Baltimore, États-Unis), l’Imperial College of London (Royaume-Uni), les universités de Jiao Tong (République Populaire de Chine) et de Tokyo (Japon), entre autres. Pour plus d’information : http://devwecan.universite-lyon.fr/formation/

scholarly journals Effects of Pulsed Electric Fields on Yeast with Prions and the Structure of Amyloid Fibrils

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 2684
Author(s):  
Justina Jurgelevičiūtė ◽  
Nedas Bičkovas ◽  
Andrius Sakalauskas ◽  
Vitalij Novickij ◽  
Vytautas Smirnovas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Electrostatic Interactions ◽  
Amyloid Fibrils ◽  
Translation Termination ◽  
Yeast Prions ◽  
Amyloid Aggregates ◽  
Perfect Model ◽  
Noncovalent Bonds ◽  
The Brain

Prions are misfolded, self-replicating, and transmissible proteins capable of causing different conditions that affect the brain and nervous system in humans and animals. Yeasts are the perfect model to study prion formation, dissemination, and the structure of protein aggregates. Yeast prions are related to stress resistance, cell fitness, and viability. Applying a pulsed electric field (PEF) as a factor capable of disintegrating the amyloid aggregates arises from the fact that the amyloid aggregates form via noncovalent bonds and stabilize via electrostatic interactions. In this research, we applied 2–26 kV/cm PEF delivered in sequences of 5 pulses of 1 ms duration to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell without prions and containing strong and weak variants of the [PSI+] prion (prion form of Sup35 translation termination factor). We determined that prions significantly increase cell survivability and resistance to PEF treatment. The application of PEF to the purified Sup35NM fibrils showed that the electric field causes significant reductions in the length of fibrils and the full disintegration of fibrils to Sup35 oligomers can be achieved in higher fields.

scholarly journals Electric field dependent effects of motor cortical TDCS

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilkka Laakso ◽  
Marko Mikkonen ◽  
Soichiro Koyama ◽  
Daisuke Ito ◽  
Tomofumi Yamaguchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Cortical Excitability ◽  
Brain Anatomy ◽  
After Effects ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Diseases ◽  
Motor Cortical ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Brain

AbstractTranscranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) can modulate motor cortical excitability. However, its after-effects are highly variable between individuals. Individual cranial and brain anatomy may contribute to this variability by producing varying electric fields in each subject’s brain. Here we show that these fields are related to excitability changes following anodal TDCS of the primary motor cortex (M1). We found in two experiments (N=28 and N=9) that the after-effects of TDCS were proportional to the individual electric field in M1, calculated using MRI-based models. Individuals with the lowest and highest local electric fields in M1 tended to produce opposite changes in excitability. Furthermore, the effect was field-direction dependent and non-linear with stimulation duration or other experimental parameters. The electric field component pointing into the brain was negatively proportional to the excitability changes following 1 mA 20 min TDCS of right M1 (N=28); the effect was opposite after 1 mA 10 min TDCS of left M1 (N=9). Our results demonstrate that a large part of variability in the after-effects of motor cortical TDCS is due to inter-individual differences in the electric fields. We anticipate that individualized electric field dosimetry could be used to control the neuroplastic effects of TDCS, which is increasingly being explored as a treatment for various neuropsychiatric diseases.

Single Units and Grandmother Cells

2019 ◽  
pp. 141-160
Author(s):  
Alan J. McComas
Keyword(s):  
Firing Rate ◽  
Single Units ◽  
Massachusetts Institute ◽  
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology ◽  
Cambridge University ◽  
Specific Recognition ◽  
Human Hippocampus ◽  
Institute Of Technology ◽  
The Brain

This chapter turns to a more recent discovery in the human hippocampus, that of “concept” (or “grandmother”) cells. These grandmother cells are neurons that code for multiple aspects of the same person or object. The prediction that specific recognition cells were present in the brain had been made many years previously by vision scientists in Cambridge University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Especially relevant for an understanding of conscious mechanisms was the observation that merely thinking about a person or image could increase the impulse firing rate of the corresponding concept cell, even when the person or image was no longer being seen. At about the same time Jerzy Konorski, in Warsaw, had argued for the existence of similar neurons (“gnostic units”) serving a number of functions.

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