Precision non-invasive brain stimulation: an <i>in silico</i> pipeline for personalized control of brain dynamics
Fariba Karimi, Melanie Steiner, Taylor Newton, Bryn Lloyd, Antonino M. Cassarà, Paul de Fontenay, Silvia Farcito, Jan Paul Triebkorn, Elena Beanato, Huifang Wang, Elisabetta Iavarone, Friedhelm C. Hummel, Niels Kuster, Viktor Jirsa, Esra Neufeld
Abstract
Abstract Objective. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) offers therapeutic benefits for various brain disorders. Personalization may enhance these benefits by optimizing stimulation parameters for individual subjects. Approach. We present a computational pipeline for simulating and assessing the effects of NIBS using personalized, large-scale brain network activity models. Using structural MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging data, the pipeline leverages a convolutional neural network-based segmentation algorithm to generate subject-specific head models with up to 40 tissue types and personalized dielectric properties. We integrate electromagnetic simulations of NIBS exposure with whole-brain network models to predict NIBS-dependent perturbations in brain dynamics, simulate the resulting EEG traces, and quantify metrics of brain dynamics. Main results. The pipeline is implemented on o 2 S 2 PARC, an open, cloud-based infrastructure designed for collaborative and reproducible computational life science. Furthermore, a dedicated planning tool provides guidance for optimizing electrode placements for transcranial temporal interference stimulation. In two proof-of-concept applications, we demonstrate that: (i) transcranial alternating current stimulation produces expected shifts in the EEG spectral response, and (ii) simulated baseline network activity exhibits physiologically plausible fluctuations in inter-hemispheric synchronization. Significance. This pipeline facilitates a shift from exposure-based to response-driven optimization of NIBS, supporting new stimulation paradigms that steer brain dynamics towards desired activity patterns in a controlled manner.