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International Meeting on Temporal Interference Brain Stimulation

A UK DRI Workshop

25-26 September 2024
The Stadium Room, Scale Space, White City, 58 Wood Lane, London W12 7RZ

The UK DRI Centre at Imperial College London is excited to host this extended, interactive workshop, bringing together leaders in the novel field of temporal interference (TI) brain stimulation. Boasting an impressive line-up of expert speakers, the programme will comprise four sessions addressing distinct themes, a drinks reception, and a networking dinner on the evening of 25 September.

This will be an exclusive meeting for select academic and industrial groups who have been at the forefront of development and/or deployment of TI brain stimulation.

Background
Since the original report on the temporal interference brain stimulation concept (Grossman et al., Cell 2017), we have seen a novel realm of research emerge, delving into its mechanisms, applications, and improvements. The field has attracted computational and experimental scientists with a broad range of expertise, including Physics, Engineering, Neuroscience, Neurology, and Psychiatry. The transformative potential of TI brain stimulation has garnered notable recognition, including a prestigious award from Science, and has galvanised companies in developing products to support this nascent field. Its promise has also captured the attention of the general public, with coverage from The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Times.

Aim
The overarching aim of this workshop is to cultivate a collaborative environment that enhances the field's impact on brain sciences and diseases. Our goal is to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, and promote synergistic research among active groups across the world, with a focus on the development of hardware and computational tools, deepening mechanistic knowledge, exploring clinical and preclinical applications, and refining improvement strategies. We hope to highlight accomplishments and to identify opportunities, while also addressing challenges and limitations to help guide better practices and the development of improvement strategies.

Overview

Wednesday 25 September

08:00-9:00 Registration + Light Breakfast
09:30-12:40 Session 1: Concept, Mechanism, and Governing Parameters
12:40-14:00 Lunch Break
14:00-17:25 Session 2: Implementation and Deployment
18:30-22:30 Dinner and Social

Thursday 26 September

08:00-9:00 Light Breakfast
09:00-12:15 Session 3: Translation and Applications 1
12:15-13:30 Lunch Break
13:30-17:00 Session 4: Translation and Applications 2
17:00-18:30 Closing remarks & Refreshments

Wednesday 25 September

08:00 Registration + Light Breakfast

09:00 Opening remarks, Nir Grossman

Session 1: Concept, Mechanism, and Governing Parameters

Mechanisms and governing parameters

09:10-09:25 Marom Bikson (City College of New York, USA). Title: The biophysical foundations (computation, in-vitro electrophysiology).
09:25-09:40 Scott Lempka (University of Michigan, USA). Title: Theoretical role of ion channel rectification (computation).
09:40-09:55 Inés Santos (Miguel Merchán, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain). Title: Whole-brain mapping of cellular response (rodents, immunohistochemistry).
09:55-10:10 Matthew Krause (Christopher Pack, McGill University, Canada). Title: Modulation of spiking activity in-vivo (nonhuman primates, electrophysiology).

10.10-10.20 Coffee Break

10:20-10:35 Huifang Wang (Viktor Jirsa, Aix-Marseille Université, France). Title: Virtual brain twins for TI stimulation (computation).
10:35-10:50 Eric Glowacki (CEITEC Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic). Title: Peripheral nerve stimulation - motor response (locust, electrophysiology)
10:50-11.05 Nir Grossman (Imperial College London, UK). Title: Insights into the neural depolarisation mechanism (rodents, electrophysiology, calcium imaging, computation)

11.05-11.15 Coffee Break

Concept development

11:15-11.25 Adam Williamson (St. Anne's University Hospital, Czech Republic). Title: Multipolar TI stimulation & Pulse TI stimulation via phase-shift keying (PSK)
11:25-11:35 Sudip Nag, Joshua Olorocisimo (Roman Genov, University of Toronto, Canada). Title: Fascicle-selective TI nerve stimulation
11.35-11.45 Benhaam Aazhang
**BUFFER EARLIER TALKS**
11:45-11:55 Nir Grossman (Imperial College London). Title: Pulse width modulation (PWM) TI stimulation, Pulse TI stimulation via frequency-shift keying, Acoustoelectric (AE) stimulation.

11.55-12.30 Roundtable

12:30-13.45 Lunch

Session 2: Implementation and Deployment

Equipment development and testing

13.45-14:00 Myles Capstick (Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society (IT'IS), Switzerland). Title: The Principles TI stimulation electronics
14:00-14:15 Christoph Herrmann (University of Oldenburg, Germany). Title: Characterisation and mitigation of nonlinear artefacts in concurrent EEG and MEG recording.
14:15-14:30 Xiaoqi Zhu, Thomas Deegan (Nir Grossman, Imperial College London, UK). Title: Origin and mitigation of nonlinear artefacts in concurrent LFP and EEG recording.
14:30-14:40 Chih-Wei Peng (Taipei Medical University, Taiwan). Title: Development and testing of a custom-made TI stimulation device.

Commercial TI equipment (examples)

14:40-14:50 NeuroDome (China)
14:50-15:00 Neuroconn Ltd (Germany)
15:00-15:10 Soterix Medical Inc (USA)
15:10-15:20 TI Solutions AG (Switzerland)

15:20-15:30 Coffee Break

Simulation tools

15:30-15:45 Esra Neufeld (Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society (IT'IS), Switzerland). Title: Principles of TI stimulation field modelling.
15:45-15:55 Sumientra Rampersad (University of Massachusetts Boston, USA). Title: Optimising of TI stimulation locus.
15:55-16:05 Chang-Hwan Im (Hanyang University, South Korea). Title: Modelling multipolar, personalised, and epidural TI stimulation.

Available software (examples)

16:05-16:15 Sim4Life
16:15-16:25 SimNIBS **MOVED TO 15.45**
16:25-16:35 HD-Targets

16.35-16.45 Coffee break

Group Discussion

16:45-17.15 Individual groups
17.15-17.45 Summary

19:00- Dinner and Social (River Thames Cruise)

Thursday 26 September

08:00-09:00 Light Breakfast

09:00-09:05 Opening remarks

Session 3: Translations and Applications 1

Animal investigations

09:05-09:20 Yu Liu (Shanghai University of Sport, China). Title: Augmentation of rodent’s motor performance via TI stimulation-induced plasticity.
09:20-09:35 Dong Pyo Jang (Hangyang University, South Korea). Title: Targeted stimulation of the striatum (rodents) and hippocampus (primates).
09:35-09:50 Liang Wang (University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China). Title: Characterisation of the TI stimulation fields in non-human primates.
09:50-10:05 Brian Corneil (University of Western Ontario, Canada). Title: Title: The oculomotor system of the non-human primate as a preclinical model for temporal interference brain stimulation.

10:05-10:15 Coffee Break

Human investigations

10:15-10:30 Ines Violante (King's College London, UK; Nir Grossman, Imperial College London). Title: Validation of non-invasive TI deep brain stimulation in humans.
10:30-10:45 Antonino Cassarà (Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society (IT'IS), Switzerland). Title: Safety considerations for TI stimulation.
10:45-11:05 Friedhelm Hummel (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Switzerland) Title: Stimulation of the striatum to augment motor learning & Safety assessment.

Group discussion

11:05-11:40 Individual groups
11:40-12:15 Summary

12:15-13:30 Lunch

Human investigations (Cont.)

13:30-13:45 Michael Treadway (Emory University, USA). Title: Stimulation of the prefrontal cortex to augment cognition.
13:45-14:00 Xiaochu Zhang (Institute of Advanced Technology, University of Science & Technology of China). Title: Stimulation of the human’s frontostriatal network to modulate reward-guided behaviour.
14:00-14:15 Joshua Brown (Indiana University Bloomington, USA). Title: Characterising BOLD fMRI response to TI stimulation in humans.
14:15-14:30 Eddy Rhodes (Nir Grossman, Imperial College London, UK). Title: Stimulation of the human’s visual cortex assessed via behaviour and concurrent EEG.

14.30-14.40 Coffee break

Session 4: Translations and Applications 2

Therapy development

14.40-15.00 Adam Williamson (St. Anne's University Hospital, Czech Republic). Title: Developing TI stimulation therapy for epilepsy
15.00-15.10 Fran Chaloner (Imperial College London, UK). Title: Developing TI stimulation therapy for Alzheimer’s disease in a rodent model.
15:15-15:30 Magdalena Sastre (Imperial College London, UK). Title: Developing TI stimulation therapy for traumatic brain injury in a rodent model.
15:30-15:45 Irena Rektorová, Monika Pupíková (St. Anne's University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic), Title: Developing TI stimulation therapy for cognitive impairment in MCI with Lewy bodies.

15.45-15.55 Coffee break

15:55-16:10 Chris Butler, Kety Alania (Nir Grossman, Imperial College London, UK), Title: Developing TI stimulation therapy for Alzheimer’s disease.
16:10-16:25 Martin Lamoš (St. Anne's University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic), Title: Developing TI stimulation therapy for Parkinson’s disease.
**Maria Ploumitsakou (Friedhelm Hummel, EPFL)**
16:25-16:40 Chencheng Zhang (Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China). Title: Developing TI stimulation therapy for Parkinson’s disease and depression, redefining the landscape of clinical care?

16:40-17.55 Dinner and poster presentation

17.55-18.00 Closing remarks, Nir Grossman

Thematic Sessions

The meeting will be divided into thematic sessions. Each session will include a combination of short talks and roundtable or break out group discussions.

Close up of human brain, researcher holding brain in lab with nitrile gloves and lab coat on

Session I

The first session included discussions around concept, our mechanistic understanding and the governing parameters of the technology.

Laptop plugged into monitor with electric current reading on screens

Session II

The second session explored the development and testing of TI tools (hardware and computational) with live demonstrations.

Close up of researchers hands placing electric stimulation nodes on scalp of patient

Session III

The third and final session delved into the translation and applications of TI stimulation, discussing both human and animal investigations, and therapeutic targets.