Accurate and reliable computational dosimetry and targeting for transcranial magnetic stimulation

经颅磁刺激(TMS)是一种非侵入性技术，用于神经科学研究和 精神和神经疾病的治疗。在TMS期间，放置在头皮上的载流线圈 产生一个电场来调节目标神经元的回路。电场的计算模拟 TMS诱导的(电场)越来越多地被用来从机制上了解TMS对 并告知其管理部门。为了确保安全和有效地使用计算模拟结果， 最重要的是系统地量化和提高对它们的信任程度。正如我们所展示的，许多 为TMS模拟部署的计算方法固有的误差可以通过增加 数值近似的保真度。然而，TMS模拟的准确性和精确度仍然很低 由于TMS设置的固有变异性(例如，线圈放置中的会话间变异性)，很大程度上是不确定的 和个体间的差异)和误差 实验数据(例如线圈位置测量误差和单个头部图像中引入的误差 分割过程)。最后，没有现有的框架在选择 放置TMS线圈，以便最有效和可靠地将电场传输到目标。这样做的目的是 该项目是开发一个不确定性量化(UQ)框架，用于对输入不确定性进行系统建模 评估TMS程序，量化TMS模拟的置信度和统计数据，并告知TMS剂量学。目标 1涉及为快速和准确地模拟TMS电场而创建有效的计算框架。 目的2开发用于分析TMS电场剂量的不确定度和变异性的UQ方法。 目标3解决了确定TMS线圈位置的框架的开发，以最大化E- 在目标处交付的场，并将其变化性降至最低。建议的工作将增加保真度和可靠性 计算TMS剂量学，并实现更准确和精确的目标定位。这可以为TMS提供支持 研究人员和临床医生对电场剂量进行统计量化，推断实验和治疗过程中的变异来源 临床结果，并选择线圈放置，从而提高和一致的疗效。

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive technique used for neuroscience research and treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders. During TMS, a current-carrying coil placed on the scalp induces an electric field that modulates targeted neuronal circuits. Computational simulations of the electric field (E-field) induced by TMS are increasingly used to gain a mechanistic understanding of the effect of TMS on the brain and to inform its administration. To ensure safe and effective use of computational simulation results, it is of primary importance to systematically quantify and enhance the level of confidence in them. As we show, much of the error inherent to the computational methods deployed for TMS simulation can be controlled by increasing the fidelity of the numerical approximations. However, the accuracy and precision of TMS simulations are still largely uncertain because of inherent variability in TMS setups (e.g. inter-session variability in coil placement and inter-individual differences) and error introduced in the generation of input simulation parameters from experimental data (e.g. error in coil placement measurements and error introduced in an individual head image segmentation process). Finally, there are no existing frameworks that consider this variability in selecting the placement of the TMS coil for most efficient and reliable delivery of E-field to the target. The objective of this project is to develop an uncertainty quantification (UQ) framework for systematically modeling input uncertainties of TMS procedures, quantifying confidence and statistics of TMS simulations, and informing TMS dosimetry. Aim 1 concerns the creation of efficient computational frameworks for rapid and accurate simulation of TMS E-fields. Aim 2 involves the development of UQ methods for analyzing uncertainty and variability in TMS E-field dose. Aim 3 addresses the development of a framework for determining TMS coil placement that maximizes the E- field delivered at the target and minimizes its variability. The proposed work will increase the fidelity and reliability of computational TMS dosimetry and enable more accurate and precise targeting. This could empower TMS researchers and clinicians to quantify statistically the E-field dose, infer sources of variation in experimental and clinical outcomes, and select coil placements that result in increased and consistent efficacy.