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Overcoming the Barriers to Effective Transcranial Temporal Interference Stimulation in Humans

Who can join

Ages 18 to 65 · All sexes · Healthy volunteers welcome

Inclusion Criteria:

* Free of neurological or orthopedic conditions that may impact the ability to participate.
* Right-hand dominant (self-reported)
* Aged 18-65 years

Exclusion Criteria:

* Ferromagnetic metal implants in the brain/skull or elsewhere (dental implants excluded).
* Any implanted electronic device (e.g. cardiac pacemaker, cochlear implant, deep brain stimulator, medication infusion pump; vagal nerve stimulator)
* Diseased or damaged skin on face or scalp
* History of migraines, fainting, seizures/epilepsy, or psychiatric illness
* Neurological disorder or intracranial lesion
* Frequent or severe headaches
* Prior adverse reaction to transcranial magnetic stimulation
* Currently pregnant
* Suspected or diagnosed heart problems (e.g. arrhythmia, cardiac disturbances).
* Insulin-dependent diabetes
* Suspected or diagnosed epilepsy or a familial history of epilepsy
* Use of alcohol or recreational drugs in the prior 12 hours
* Use of prescription and over the counter medications will be grounds for exclusion except for: contraceptive (birth control) drugs (e.g. those containing ethinyl estradiol and/or norethindrone), and seasonal allergy medications (e.g. cetirizine (Zyrtec), fexofenadine (Allegra), and loratadine (Claritin)).

About the study

Transcranial temporal interference stimulation (TIS) is an emerging novel tool for non-invasive transcranial brain stimulation that holds the potential for focal and steerable neuromodulation, and the possibility to stimulate focally at depth. TIS involves combining two high frequency waveforms to create a waveform with a "beat" frequency that is physiological relevant for neuromodulation. Successful applications to deep brain targets as well as steerability of the stimulation focus have been demonstrated in mice. Numerous recent investigations in humans have shown great clinical potential for this technology, however several questions about the basic mechanism of TIS action remain. The investigators will apply TIS to the motor cortex of humans and use established transcranial magnetic stimulation techniques to assess cortical excitability in relation to the phase of the TIS waveform. Using TMS, the investigators will i) validate that effects of TIS are due to the "beat" frequency and not the high frequency carrier signal, ii) evaluate the effect of the TIS carrier frequency, and iii) evaluate that whether changes in corticospinal excitability outlast the period of stimulation. Knowledge gained from this experiment will provide a basis for the future use of TIS for clinical applications, including informing parameter optimization.

What is being tested

• transcranial Temporal Interference Stimulation (device)

Sponsor: Northeastern University · Participants: 30 · Started: Feb 1, 2026

Contact the study team

• Joanne Hall, M.Sc. · Phone: 17027828483

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT07593859

Locations in the U.S.

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.