Transient calculation of the induced currents inside the brain during magnetic stimulation

Abstract

Purpose

Transient calculation of currents in brain tissue induced during a transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment.

Design/methodology/approach

Because of the short pulses used in this technique a time‐harmonic approximation is no longer valid, and transient effects have to be considered. We have performed a Fourier analysis of the induced currents calculated in a high‐resolution model of the brain using the extended scalar potential finite differences (Ex‐SPFD) approach.

Findings

The peak induced currents in the transient development of the pulse are higher by a factor of approximately seven than the time harmonic solutions at the fundamental frequency. Furthermore, an analysis of the impact of the conductivity dispersion revealed an increase in the peak induced currents by 17.3 percent for white matter and by 20.8 percent for gray matter.

Originality/value

Using the numerically efficient Ex‐SPFD approach, along with a high performance cluster, the current densities inside the brain can be calculated incorporating more details than previous calculations of this type.

Citation

Barchanski, A., Gjonaj, E., De Gersem, H. and Weiland, T. (2007), "Transient calculation of the induced currents inside the brain during magnetic stimulation", COMPEL - The international journal for computation and mathematics in electrical and electronic engineering, Vol. 26 No. 3, pp. 910-921. https://doi.org/10.1108/03321640710751316