Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A new method for optimal placement of tumor treating fields electrodes.

Neuro-oncology advances·2026
Same author

Standardizing TMS Intensity Across Different Coils Using Individualized Electric Field Modeling.

Human brain mapping·2026
Same author

Cellular Mechanisms of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Climbing Fibers and Purkinje Neurons in the Cerebellum.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Experimental Validation of Finite Element Models for Directional DBS: The Critical Role of Boundary Conditions on VTA Accuracy.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Direct Reconstruction of DC Cortical Conductivity from Large-Scale Electron Microscopy Data.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Charge Based Boundary Element Method with Residual Driven Adaptive Mesh Refinement for High Resolution Electrical Stimulation Modeling.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 26, 2025

Targeting Neuronal Fiber Tracts for Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy Using Interactive, Patient-Specific Models
14:14

Targeting Neuronal Fiber Tracts for Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy Using Interactive, Patient-Specific Models

Published on: August 12, 2018

9.0K

Boundary element fast multipole method for modeling electrical brain stimulation with voltage and current electrodes.

Sergey N Makarov1,2, Laleh Golestanirad3, William A Wartman1

  • 1Electrical & Computer Engineering Department, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609, United States of America.

Journal of Neural Engineering
|July 26, 2021
PubMed
Summary

A new boundary element fast multipole method (BEM-FMM) offers accurate, efficient modeling for electrical brain stimulation. This technique provides a viable alternative to finite element methods (FEM) for high-resolution simulations.

Keywords:
boundary element methoddeep brain stimulationelectroencephalographyfast multipole methodintracortical microstimulationnumerical modelingtranscranial electrical stimulation

More Related Videos

Computational Modeling of Retinal Neurons for Visual Prosthesis Research - Fundamental Approaches
10:50

Computational Modeling of Retinal Neurons for Visual Prosthesis Research - Fundamental Approaches

Published on: June 21, 2022

1.9K
Electric and Magnetic Field Devices for Stimulation of Biological Tissues
13:29

Electric and Magnetic Field Devices for Stimulation of Biological Tissues

Published on: May 15, 2021

5.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 26, 2025

Targeting Neuronal Fiber Tracts for Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy Using Interactive, Patient-Specific Models
14:14

Targeting Neuronal Fiber Tracts for Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy Using Interactive, Patient-Specific Models

Published on: August 12, 2018

9.0K
Computational Modeling of Retinal Neurons for Visual Prosthesis Research - Fundamental Approaches
10:50

Computational Modeling of Retinal Neurons for Visual Prosthesis Research - Fundamental Approaches

Published on: June 21, 2022

1.9K
Electric and Magnetic Field Devices for Stimulation of Biological Tissues
13:29

Electric and Magnetic Field Devices for Stimulation of Biological Tissues

Published on: May 15, 2021

5.4K

Area of Science:

  • Computational Neuroscience
  • Biophysics
  • Electrophysiology

Background:

  • Finite element method (FEM) is a common technique for modeling electrical brain stimulation.
  • High-resolution modeling is crucial for understanding neural responses.
  • Existing methods may have limitations in accuracy or computational cost for certain applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate the boundary element fast multipole method (BEM-FMM) as an alternative to FEM for electrical brain stimulation.
  • To incorporate practical electrode models for both surface and embedded electrodes.
  • To assess the accuracy and efficiency of BEM-FMM compared to FEM.

Main Methods:

  • Integral equations from the boundary element method (BEM) were combined with a fast multipole method (FMM).
  • The method was expanded to include various electrode types (voltage, shunt, current, floating).
  • Global conservation laws (charge conservation, Kirchhoff's current law) were enforced during solution.

Main Results:

  • BEM-FMM achieved sub-percent accuracy compared to analytical solutions and simple geometries.
  • Relative differences in electric field magnitude were 3%-6% or less when compared to FEM using realistic head models.
  • The method demonstrated higher accuracy and speed for quantities with higher-order spatial derivatives, such as the activating function.
  • BEM-FMM integrates seamlessly with existing head modeling pipelines.

Conclusions:

  • The BEM-FMM is a mesh-free method suitable for high-accuracy, moderate-cost mesoscale modeling.
  • Its efficiency and accuracy make it advantageous over FEM for certain neurostimulation modeling tasks.
  • The method's principles can be extended to solve electroencephalography (EEG) forward problems with numerous cortical dipoles.