Personalizing gentle brain stimulation using heart-rate signals
HRV-guided tDCS: Integrating a biomarker for clinical utility
This project uses heart-rate variability to guide home-based gentle brain stimulation (tDCS) so adults with mood or other neuropsychiatric symptoms can get a more personalized course of treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11323113 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would use a gentle, noninvasive brain stimulation device (tDCS) that can be controlled remotely and used at home. The team will link the device to heart rate variability (HRV) monitoring so your early physiological response to a session helps decide the best dose for you. Investigators will build and test a device that senses HRV through tDCS impedance and uses telehealth controls to adjust sessions. Initial work will focus on proving the device can read HRV changes and change dosing reliably before testing it more widely.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (21+) with neuropsychiatric symptoms such as depression or anxiety who are willing to try noninvasive, home-based brain stimulation and participate in remote monitoring are the most likely candidates.
Not a fit: People under 21, those with contraindications to tDCS (for example certain implanted electronic devices), or those unable to use or monitor a home device may not be eligible or benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make home tDCS more effective for individuals by tailoring the dose to each person’s nervous-system signals, potentially improving symptoms like depression.
How similar studies have performed: tDCS has shown benefit for mood symptoms in prior trials though results have been mixed, and using HRV to guide dosing is a newer idea with limited prior testing.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- New York University School of Medicine — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pilloni, Giuseppina — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Pilloni, Giuseppina
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.