Improving Brain Stimulation for Neurological Conditions
Official title: Overcoming the Barriers to Effective Transcranial Temporal Interference Stimulation in Humans
Funded at University of Massachusetts Boston · NIH-11134748 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores a new, non-invasive way to stimulate deep brain areas to help people with neurological and psychiatric conditions that haven't responded to other treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Massachusetts Boston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | July 10, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $584,510 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS133229-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11134748 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for future applications of this technology would be individuals with neurological or psychiatric disorders that are resistant to current treatments.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose conditions respond well to existing treatments or those without neurological or psychiatric disorders may not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
Many people living with neurological and psychiatric conditions find that current treatments don't fully help them. This project is developing a new, non-invasive brain stimulation method called Transcranial Temporal Interference Stimulation (TIS) that can reach deep brain areas without surgery. Researchers are working to make TIS safe and effective for human use, building on promising results from animal studies. They will first test TIS in non-human primates to understand its effects on behavior and safety, and then apply it to the motor cortex in humans to refine how it works. The ultimate goal is to create clear protocols for using TIS to help individuals with conditions that have been resistant to other therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a new, non-invasive treatment option for individuals with neurological and psychiatric disorders who have not found relief from existing therapies.
How similar studies have gone: While TIS has shown promising results in animal models, its effective application and safety protocols for deep brain stimulation in humans are still being established in this foundational work.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Massachusetts Boston
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rampersad, Sumientra Marijke — University of Massachusetts Boston
- Study coordinator: Rampersad, Sumientra Marijke
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.