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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Hum. Neurosci.
Sec. Brain Imaging and Stimulation
Volume 18 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1484593
This article is part of the Research Topic Advances in Brain Imaging and Stimulation Methods for Cognitive Function Investigation Volume II View all articles

The safety and efficacy of applying a high-current temporal interference electrical stimulation in humans

Provisionally accepted
Xiaochu Zhang Xiaochu Zhang *Yan Wang Yan Wang Qinghong Zeng Qinghong Zeng Mengmeng Wang Mengmeng Wang Mingsong Zhang Mingsong Zhang Chuangchuang Chang Chuangchuang Chang Qiongwei Liu Qiongwei Liu Keqing Wang Keqing Wang Ru Ma Ru Ma Ying Wang Ying Wang *
  • University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Temporal interference electrical stimulation (TI) is promise in targeting deep brain regions focally. However, limited electric field intensity challenges its efficacy.Objective: This study aimed to introduce a high-current TI electrical stimulation protocol to enhance its intensity and evaluate its safety and efficacy when applied to the primary motor cortex (M1) in the human brain.Methods: Safety assessments included a battery of biochemical and neuropsychological tests (NSE, MoCA, PPT, VAMS-R, and SAS measurements), 5-minute resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) recordings before and after 30-minute high-current TI electrical stimulation sessions (20 Hz, 70 Hz, sham). Adverse reactions were also documented post-stimulation. Efficacy evaluations involved two motor tasks, the simple reaction time (SRT) task and the one-increment task, to investigate the distinct contributions of beta (20 Hz) and gamma (70 Hz) oscillations to motor functions.Results: Biochemical and neuropsychological tests revealed no significant differences between the groups. Additionally, no epileptic activities were detected in the EEG recordings. In the one-increment task, 20 Hz stimulation delayed participants' reaction time compared to the 70 Hz and sham groups. Conversely, in the SRT task, 70 Hz stimulation exhibited a tendency to enhance participants' performance relative to the sham group.The proposed high-current TI electrical stimulation is both safe and effective for stimulating the human brain. Moreover, the distinct effects observed in motor tasks underscore the dissociative roles of beta and gamma oscillations in motor functions, offering valuable insights into the potential applications of high-current TI electrical stimulation in brain stimulation research.

    Keywords: high-current TI electrical stimulation, Safety, efficacy, noninvasive brain stimulation, transcranial electric stimulation, Motor function

    Received: 22 Aug 2024; Accepted: 11 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zhang, Wang, Zeng, Wang, Zhang, Chang, Liu, Wang, Ma and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Xiaochu Zhang, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
    Ying Wang, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.