High-Capacity transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HC-tDCS).

BACKGROUND

Enhancing tDCS technology can support the delivery of higher current intensities, enabling broader dose-response studies in human clinical trials.

METHODS

High-Capacity tDCS (HC-tDCS) integrates novel electrodes and adaptive current/voltage controlled electronics. Multi-layer HC electrodes include polarity-specific redox layers and engineered hydrogel interfaces, configured for a bifrontotemporal montage. The stimulator design includes adaptive ramps with hybrid voltage-current control and low compliance voltage. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) characterized electrode properties. Tolerability of HC-tDCS was tested at target currents of 1-6 mA (in 1 mA increments) for 30 min on 10 healthy subjects, and compared with conventional tDCS using 2 mA F3-F4 sponge-electrodes. Tolerability was assessed according to the 100 mm visual analogue scale for pain (VAS-P100), skin erythema assessment, thermal imaging, and adverse event questionnaires. MRI-derived computational models predicted brain electric fields.

RESULTS

The electrode design incorporating roughened redox layers with polarity-specific electrochemical capacity supports high-charge direct current stimulation. In all subjects, HC-tDCS was well tolerated at all tested doses (1-6 mA) with minor transient adverse events. Mean VAS-P100 (± SD) was 17.17 ± 11.12 for 6 mA HC-tDCS and 18.30 ± 9.49 for 2 mA sponge-electrode tDCS. HC-tDCS operated at lower voltage than sponge-tDCS. Across MRI-derived head models, 6 mA HC-tDCS produced 2.25-3.26 V/m electric fields, ∼4x higher than conventional 2 mA tDCS electric fields of 0.49-0.85 V/m. 6 mA HC-tDCS produced >1 V/m across all evaluated regions, including dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, insula, and amygdala, whereas no evaluated region reached 0.5 V/m with conventional 2 mA tDCS.

CONCLUSIONS

HC-tDCS was well tolerated by participants and expands the accessible tDCS dose range, enabling stimulation up to at least 6 mA and substantially higher electric fields throughout cortical and deeper brain regions than conventional 2 mA tDCS.