Personalized TMS guided by live brain mapping
Precision TMS with integrated visualization and analysis of real-time E-field and EEG source imaging
This project will create software that guides personalized transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for people with brain disorders by showing live electric field maps and EEG brain signals during treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11289467 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers will use your MRI and EEG recordings to build a personalized map of brain connections and activity. During TMS sessions, the new software will show where the magnetic pulses are hitting your brain and display real-time EEG source signals so clinicians can adjust targeting and dose. The team will combine diffusion MRI tractography and resting-state networks to pick precise targets in brain networks involved in mood and cognitive control. Over the project they will refine the software and test whether these live maps improve TMS targeting and related cognitive measures.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with brain disorders treated with TMS—such as major depressive disorder, OCD, or migraine—who can attend in-person imaging and TMS visits.
Not a fit: People who cannot undergo MRI, tolerate EEG or TMS, or who are unable to travel to the study site are unlikely to participate or benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make TMS more precise for individuals and increase the chance of symptom improvement.
How similar studies have performed: TMS is already FDA-cleared for several conditions, but combining real-time electric-field mapping and source-space EEG guidance is a novel approach that has not yet been widely proven in patients.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ning, Lipeng — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Ning, Lipeng
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 below.