Safety Evaluation of Employing Temporal Interference Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation in Human Studies

Yi Piao; Ru Ma; Yaohao Weng; Chuan Fan; Xinzhao Xia; Wei Zhang; Ginger Qinghong Zeng; Yan Wang; Zhuo Lu; Jiangtian Cui; Xiaoxiao Wang; Li Gao; Bensheng Qiu; Xiaochu Zhang

doi:10.3390/brainsci12091194

Brain Sciences (Sep 2022)

Safety Evaluation of Employing Temporal Interference Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation in Human Studies

Yi Piao,
Ru Ma,
Yaohao Weng,
Chuan Fan,
Xinzhao Xia,
Wei Zhang,
Ginger Qinghong Zeng,
Yan Wang,
Zhuo Lu,
Jiangtian Cui,
Xiaoxiao Wang,
Li Gao,
Bensheng Qiu,
Xiaochu Zhang

Affiliations

Yi Piao: Application Technology Center of Physical Therapy to Brain Disorders, Institute of Advanced Technology, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei 230031, China
Ru Ma: Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
Yaohao Weng: Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
Chuan Fan: Centers for Biomedical Engineering, School of Information Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
Xinzhao Xia: Centers for Biomedical Engineering, School of Information Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
Wei Zhang: Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
Ginger Qinghong Zeng: Application Technology Center of Physical Therapy to Brain Disorders, Institute of Advanced Technology, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei 230031, China
Yan Wang: Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Science, Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
Zhuo Lu: Centers for Biomedical Engineering, School of Information Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
Jiangtian Cui: Centers for Biomedical Engineering, School of Information Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
Xiaoxiao Wang: Centers for Biomedical Engineering, School of Information Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
Li Gao: SILC Business School, Shanghai University, Shanghai 201800, China
Bensheng Qiu: Centers for Biomedical Engineering, School of Information Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
Xiaochu Zhang: Application Technology Center of Physical Therapy to Brain Disorders, Institute of Advanced Technology, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei 230031, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12091194
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 9
p. 1194

Abstract

Read online

Temporal interference transcranial alternating current stimulation (TI-tACS) is a new technique of noninvasive brain stimulation. Previous studies have shown the effectiveness of TI-tACS in stimulating brain areas in a selective manner. However, its safety in modulating human brain neurons is still untested. In this study, 38 healthy adults were recruited to undergo a series of neurological and neuropsychological measurements regarding safety concerns before and after active (2 mA, 20/70 Hz, 30 min) or sham (0 mA, 0 Hz, 30 min) TI-tACS. The neurological and neuropsychological measurements included electroencephalography (EEG), serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT), an abbreviated version of the California Computerized Assessment Package (A-CalCAP), a revised version of the Visual Analog Mood Scale (VAMS-R), a self-assessment scale (SAS), and a questionnaire about adverse effects (AEs). We found no significant difference between the measurements of the active and sham TI-tACS groups. Meanwhile, no serious or intolerable adverse effects were reported or observed in the active stimulation group of 19 participants. These results support that TI-tACS is safe and tolerable in terms of neurological and neuropsychological functions and adverse effects for use in human brain stimulation studies under typical transcranial electric stimulation (TES) conditions (2 mA, 20/70 Hz, 30 min).

Published in Brain Sciences

ISSN: 2076-3425 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/brainsci/

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords