Overcoming the Barriers to Effective Transcranial Temporal Interference Stimulation in Humans
Recruiting now · Not applicable · Has a placebo group
Conditions studied: Healthy Adult Participants
In brief
Transcranial temporal interference stimulation (TIS) is an emerging novel tool for non-invasive transcranial brain stimulation that holds the potential for focal and steerable neuromodulation, and the possibility to stimulate focally at depth. TIS involves combining two high frequency waveforms to create a waveform with a "beat" frequency that is physiological relevant for neuromodulation. Successful applications to deep brain targets as well as steerability of the stimulation focus have been demonstrated in mice. Numerous recent investigations in humans have shown great clinical potential for this technology, however several questions about the basic mechanism of TIS action remain. The investigators will apply TIS to the motor cortex of humans and use established transcranial magnetic stimulation techniques to assess cortical excitability in relation to the phase of the TIS waveform. Using TMS, the investigators will i) validate that effects of TIS are due to the "beat" frequency and not the high frequency carrier signal, ii) evaluate the effect of the TIS carrier frequency, and iii) evaluate that whether changes in corticospinal excitability outlast the period of stimulation. Knowledge gained from this experiment will provide a basis for the future use of TIS for clinical applications, including informing parameter optimization.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT07593859
- Run by
- Northeastern University
- People needed
- 30
- Starts
- 2026-02-01
- Expected to finish
- 2029-10-01
- Last updated by the study team
- 2026-05-18
Who can join
Age: 18 and older, up to 65. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Free of neurological or orthopedic conditions that may impact the ability to participate.
- Right-hand dominant (self-reported)
- Aged 18-65 years
You may not qualify if…
- Ferromagnetic metal implants in the brain/skull or elsewhere (dental implants excluded).
- Any implanted electronic device (e.g. cardiac pacemaker, cochlear implant, deep brain stimulator, medication infusion pump; vagal nerve stimulator)
- Diseased or damaged skin on face or scalp
- History of migraines, fainting, seizures/epilepsy, or psychiatric illness
- Neurological disorder or intracranial lesion
- Frequent or severe headaches
- Prior adverse reaction to transcranial magnetic stimulation
- Currently pregnant
- Suspected or diagnosed heart problems (e.g. arrhythmia, cardiac disturbances).
- Insulin-dependent diabetes
- Suspected or diagnosed epilepsy or a familial history of epilepsy
- Use of alcohol or recreational drugs in the prior 12 hours
- Use of prescription and over the counter medications will be grounds for exclusion except for: contraceptive (birth control) drugs (e.g. those containing ethinyl estradiol and/or norethindrone), and seasonal allergy medications (e.g. cetirizine (Zyrtec), fexofenadine (Allegra), and loratadine (Claritin)).
Where it is running
- Northeastern University — Boston, Massachusetts, United States (enrolling)
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
Trial information comes from ClinicalTrials.gov and is refreshed daily. TrialsForMe does not provide medical care and does not run the studies it lists.