Project Details
Transcranial magnetic stimulation for functional localization through optimized cortical mapping (TMS-LOK)
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive procedure that enables the targeted activation of specific areas of the brain by generating electrical fields in the brain using a TMS coil outside the head. This technology has enabled significant advances in the treatment and diagnosis of neurological and psychiatric disorders, from depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder to stroke rehabilitation. The medical need for precise, individualized diagnosis and treatment methods is constantly growing, as they make it possible to treat diseases more effectively and offer patients a better quality of life.
In particular, the ability to determine the exact location of functional areas in the brain before neurosurgical interventions such as tumor operations is invaluable. This can reduce costs in rehabilitation and aftercare (up to €1200 per patient) and significantly reduce cost-intensive re-operations (up to €10,000 per patient).
Project Coordinator
Sven Arnold
Localite GmbH
Project budget
Funding amount overall network
1.307.135 €
Project duration
10/01/2024 – 09/30/2027
Framework Program Health Research Germany Medical Technology Specialist Program Funding measure
Current preoperative methods for brain mapping are based on a combination of TMS and imaging techniques, but their inaccuracy and time-consuming nature have limitations and reduce their clinical acceptance. The project “Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Functional Localization by Optimized Cortical Mapping” (TMS-LOK) aims to further develop an already scientifically established innovative mapping method for clinical use and to integrate it into a user-friendly neuronavigation system.
The method is based on the statistical correlations between the electrical fields induced in the brain and the physiological reactions of the body, such as muscle contractions when the motor cortex is stimulated, and enables more precise and faster localization of brain areas.
Scientific publications of the project results should provide important insights into the clinical application of TMS for brain mapping. The demonstrator system is also intended to provide a platform for further developments by the project partner Localite GmbH, which can be made available to a broad clinical market as a medical product in the future.
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Project Consortium
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