Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42791922›Full record

ArticleBioengineering (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Focal and Steerable Temporal Interference Stimulation of the Human Left Posterior Insula: A Proof-of-Concept Validation Using Intracranial Recordings in a Human Cadaver.

Yaser Fathi, Aïcha Boutachkourt, Vincent Joris, Valeria Onofrj, Laurence Dricot, Catherine Behets, Bernard Hanseeuw, Giulia Liberati

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Yaser FathiInstitute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-1320-1325
Aïcha BoutachkourtInstitute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.
Vincent JorisInstitute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-7820-6864
Valeria OnofrjDepartment of Radiology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, 1200 Bruxelles, Belgium.
Laurence DricotInstitute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.
Catherine BehetsPole of Morphology, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0003-0468-7076
Bernard HanseeuwInstitute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-3102-6778
Giulia LiberatiInstitute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.

Funding

F.R.S.-FNRS 40013969Queen Elisabeth Medical Foundation
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The insular cortex, especially its posterior subdivision, is a key hub for interoceptive, somatosensory, and nociceptive processing, making it a compelling target for neuromodulation. However, its depth within the lateral sulcus makes it difficult to reach selectively with conventional noninvasive brain stimulation. Temporal interference stimulation (TIS) can, in theory, focus low-frequency modulation onto deep structures, but experimental validation for the human insula is lacking. We tested whether a simple, simulation-guided TIS approach can focally and steerably modulate electric fields within the human insula. Using the TI Planning Tool, we designed anterior-posterior (AP) optimized, lateral-optimized, and non-optimized control montages and recorded induced fields from six intracranial depth electrodes spanning insular subregions in a fresh-frozen donated human body. TIS was delivered at 990 and 1000 Hz (10 Hz envelope) across five current-ratio conditions. The AP-optimized montage produced preferential envelope modulation in deep posterior insular contacts, an effect robust across contact-depth thresholds and stronger than for absolute field amplitude. Whereas varying the current ratio steered the modulation focus monotonically along the AP axis, control montages showed no such steering. These findings provide proof-of-concept evidence that simulation-guided TIS can focally target and steer stimulation within the human posterior insula.

Indexed as

electric field modelinginsular cortexneuromodulationnoninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS)temporal interference stimulation (TIS)

Identifiers

PMID42791922
PMCPMC13603869

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.