Description
- Abstract:
- Background: High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) is effective in the treatment of neurological disorders and cognitive enhancement. Yet, optimizing electric field distributions remains challenging due to anatomical and conductivity variations influenced by age and sex. Currently, HD-tDCS lacks sufficient personalization, potentially limiting efficacy. Methods: Forward-model electric field simulations were conducted on 70 pediatric head models (ages 6–17, 40 females) for HD-tDCS targeting either primary motor cortex (M1) or left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (LDLPFC), areas linked to migraine relief and cognitive enhancement, respectively. Relations between field intensities and tissue volumes, age, and sex, were examined. An inverse-model framework (MOVEA) optimized stimulation strategies for balancing field intensity and focality (Pareto frontiers), while uncertainty analysis assessed tissue conductivity effects. Results: In the forward models targeting M1 (C3-C5/FC3-FC5 montage), nested Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) showed age significantly influenced field intensity across 6 regions of interest (p < 0.05, FDR-corrected), partially mediated by scalp- and tissue-volume interactions. For sex, scalp volume was the only significant mediator. When targeting LDLPFC (F3/AF3-F5-F1-FC3 montage), age significantly influenced field intensity, mediated by tissue volume interactions. Sex also affected intensities in target regions. For inverse models, MOVEA-derived Pareto frontiers increased intensities by 14.71% with comparable traditional forward-model focalities, and enhanced focalities by 16.42% at equivalent M1 intensities. At the upper-rightmost Pareto frontier point, M1 and LDLPFC intensities rose by 135.39% and 195.34%, respectively. Nested GLMs demonstrated that MOVEA-based optimizations of HD-tDCS parameters effectively accounted for all age- and sex-related variability in field intensity within the target regions in this pediatric population. Uncertainty analysis identified gray matter and skull conductivities as key factors affecting Pareto frontiers. Conclusion: This study shows individual differences significantly impact HD-tDCS field distribution in a pediatric population, with anatomical structure, tissue volume and conductivity as key factors. These new developments offer a promising personalized framework to enhance the effectiveness of HD-tDCS in pediatric applications.
- Notes:
- Thesis (Sc. M.)--Brown University, 2025
Citation
Liu, Zeming,
"Advancing Personalized Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Pediatric Neurology: Impact of Volume and Electrical Conductivity of Different Tissues under Different Target Strategies"
(2025).
Biomedical Engineering Theses and Dissertations.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://repository.library.brown.edu/studio/item/bdr:vexbg5q4/
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Biomedical Engineering Theses and Dissertations
Theses and Dissertations for the Biomedical Engineering department....