Optimizing and assessing multichannel TMS focality

Multichannel transcranial magnetic stimulation (mTMS) enables electronic steering of induced electric fields across multiple cortical targets without physical coil repositioning, addressing key limitations of conventional single-channel TMS (sTMS). However, determining optimal input currents for focal stimulation remains challenging, and different mTMS systems have not been systematically compared under realistic hardware constraints.

To develop an user-centric framework for optimizing and assessing mTMS focality by introducing a generic optimization algorithm, establishing meaningful quality metrics, and comparing mTMS coil arrays with traditional single-channel TMS across cortical targets.

We developed a fast optimization framework incorporating target E-field constraints via parametrization of degenerated hyperellipsoids, explicitly integrating current-rate limits, for example from stimulator electronics and coil heating. Using high-resolution finite-element models of nine individual brains, we compared two mTMS designs (5-channel planar and 6/12-channel spherical systems) with standard sTMS figure-of-eight coils through E-field simulations. Three complementary metrics quantified stimulation quality: Focality, Target2Max, and OverstimulatedArea.

Despite using a single optimized placement for all region-of-interest targets, mTMS achieved focality comparable to repositioned single-channel TMS in this in-silico study. For superficial targets, single-channel TMS showed slightly better stimulation, but for deeper cortical targets (>25 mm skin-cortex distance), mTMS performed similarly. More mTMS channels improved focality but required stronger current-rate constraints. The planar design performed better for deeper targets, while spherical designs improved with additional channels.

mTMS systems demonstrate remarkable performance comparable to standard TMS, enabling efficient multi-target stimulation without repositioning. Our open-source framework provides practical tools for designing and evaluating mTMS systems, supporting goal-directed mTMS development and effective application.