Group-Level and Personalized Optimization for the Insula and Hippocampus Focal Electric Field in Transcranial Temporal Interferential Stimulation: A Computational Study (2510.23290v1)

Abstract: This study evaluated transcranial temporal interference stimulation (tTIS) for focal targeting of the insula and hippocampus, which are clinically relevant yet anatomically difficult to stimulate. Individualized and group-level electrode optimizations were compared to determine whether generalized montages can provide reliable targeting with reduced modeling demands. Sixty high-resolution head models (30 individuals and their mirrored counterparts) were constructed from T1- and T2-weighted MRI. Electric fields (EFs) were computed using the scalar-potential finite-difference method. Electrode montages and current ratios were optimized to minimize the root-mean-square error between simulated and target EF envelope (EFE) distributions, with a threshold of 0.3 V/m. Subsampling analysis was performed to estimate the number of models required for stable group-level outcomes. For the insula, a montage combining T7-P7 and Fp1-Fp2 achieved the highest focality, comparable to individualized results with reduced variability. For the hippocampus, the F7-T7 and T8-P8 montage gave the best group-level focality, though individualized optimization improved off-target suppression. Stable group-level patterns were obtained using 20 models for the insula and 9 for the hippocampus. Optimal tTIS montages depend on target depth. Group-level optimization suffices for cortical regions like the insula, whereas individualized tuning remains preferable for deeper targets such as the hippocampus.