Challenges and opportunities of an emerging deep brain stimulation approach in research

With the continuous development of neuromodulation technology, non-invasive brain stimulation methods have received increasing attention in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders and the study of brain function. Among them, transcranial temporal interference (TI) stimulation technology has aroused great controversy because of its ability to precisely modulate deep brain regions. This article reviews the principles and applications of TI stimulation techniques and their potential in neuromodulation, aiming to summarize and analyze the current state trends and key issues in TI research. The article first introduces the technical principle of TI stimulation, elucidating that it realizes non-invasive and precise modulation of deep brain regions by introducing two high-frequency AC currents to form a low-frequency interference envelope in the brain. Subsequently, the article describes in detail the application of TI stimulation in different deep brain regions, emphasizing the key roles of electrode location selection and electric field modeling in optimizing the electric field distribution. Meanwhile, the article compares the similarities and differences between TI stimulation and other electrical stimulation methods (e.g., tDCS and tACS), pointing out the advantages and disadvantages of TI stimulation in the precise modulation of deep brain regions. Finally, the article also discusses the current challenges of TI stimulation technology, such as the limitations of simulation technology and the difficulties in precise targeting of deep brain regions. Comprehensive analysis provides an important reference for the future direction of TI stimulation technology in neuroscience research and clinical application.