Recent Advances in Brain Stimulation Technology

Dear Colleagues,

Brain stimulation, both invasive and non-invasive, has become a crucial tool in neuroscience and clinical neurophysiology, offering new approaches to modulate brain activity and treat neurological and psychiatric disorders. While techniques like deep brain stimulation (DBS), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) have shown substantial therapeutic potential and some positive results, the field still faces major challenges, especially regarding variability in inter- and intra-individual outcomes. A growing body of research points to the importance of the brain’s ongoing and transient dynamics (particularly cortico- and subcortical oscillatory activity) in shaping stimulation effects. For instance, brain-state-dependent stimulation, where pulses are timed to specific phases of neural rhythms recorded via EEG or intracranial electrodes, has shown promise in enhancing the precision and efficacy of both invasive and non-invasive approaches. Recent successes in using TMS for depression and the expanding applications of tACS, tDCS, and DBS underscore the need for more refined strategies.

However, a particularly pressing issue is the limited ability of most NIBS techniques to reach deep brain structures implicated in disorders like depression, chronic pain, and neurodegeneration. More recently, temporal interference stimulation (TIS) has emerged as a promising method to non-invasively target deeper regions with greater precision, opening new therapeutic possibilities beyond the cortex.

Altogether, these developments suggest that the key to improving brain stimulation outcomes lies in integrating individually tailored anatomical modeling with the real-time monitoring of functional brain states. This shift toward personalized, brain-state-dependent stimulation protocols could significantly increase therapeutic impact while reducing inter-subject variability in both research and clinical applications.

We invite researchers, clinicians, and biomedical engineers to submit original research articles and review papers highlighting recent advancements in brain stimulation technologies. By bringing together cutting-edge research and clinical insights, we aim to advance the field of brain stimulation technology and contribute to the development of more effective and personalized treatments for brain-related disorders.

Dr. Paolo Belardinelli
Dr. Giulia Liberati
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Bioengineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.