Real-time measurement instead of prediction enables high-precision phase-specific stimulation of the human brain.
A real-time system triggered TMS close to the intended EEG phase without predicting ahead. This is an engineering result, not evidence of better treatment outcomes.
Guggenberger R, Negahbani F, Gebühr JS, Keute M, Gharabaghi A.
NeuroImage · Publication date: 2026-09-09
Added to site: 2026-09-10
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.122216
First-publication date from the authoritative indexed record.
- Modalities
- EEG, TMS, Closed-loop stimulation
- Clinical focus
- Brain stimulation, Brain health
- Population
- Human participants receiving EEG-triggered TMS
- Sample
- Not reported in the reviewed abstract
- Intervention / method
- Prediction-free EEG phase measurement and TMS triggering with a 1 ms update cycle across 4 to 40 Hz
- Comparator
- Intended target phases across eight phases and ten frequencies; no clinical control arm
Clinician summary
Across 4 to 40 Hz, mean stimulation phase was 5.6 degrees from target; typical single-pulse error was 3.7 degrees and trial-to-trial variability was 7.8 degrees.
How to interpret the findings
Participant count, detailed controls and commercial device information were unavailable in the reviewed abstract. The study reports targeting precision, not clinical efficacy.
Equipment and disclosures
EEG-triggered transcranial magnetic stimulation was described; specific commercial equipment was not verified from the abstract.
Funding and competing-interest disclosures were not verified from the reviewed abstract.
Related evidence
Compare findings from the same clinical area, including mixed results.
- Sources of the N15 TMS-evoked potential following motor cortex stimulation localize rostrals to TMS-induced electric fields and depend on dose. · Positive with limitations
- Closed-loop auditory stimulation in phase with slow waves during sleep enhances cerebrospinal fluid flow in humans. · Positive with limitations
- Design and validation of a modular smart headband with embroidered electrodes for comfortable EEG monitoring. · Positive with limitations
- Photobiomodulation therapy and the regulation of excitation-inhibition balance in neurological and psychiatric disorders: Mechanistic and translational perspectives. · Positive with limitations
Summary prepared with AI assistance. Source verification does not imply an independent replication or a clinician's endorsement. Read our review method.