Published September 15, 2026, this Clinical Neurophysiology review argues that stimulation timing should account for large-scale brain state as well as anatomical target. Existing EEG-guided TMS work often triggers pulses from local oscillations during rest, while broader network activity remains variable.
What the review proposes The authors describe a workflow for defining and validating task-relevant connectivity patterns offline, estimating them in real time, and delivering TMS only when the selected network state appears. The aim is to turn neural variability into a controlled experimental condition.
How to read the result This is a theoretical and methodological framework, not a clinical trial. It reports no patient outcomes and does not establish that network-state triggering improves treatment, diagnosis or biomarker performance.
Why it matters The approach could sharpen causal TMS experiments and encourage shared standards for future closed-loop, individualized neuromodulation research.
Source and disclosure Peer-reviewed review; authoritative abstract checked. The authors declared no known competing interests. Funding was not reported in the checked record. Prepared with AI assistance and source-checked September 19, 2026.