PATIENT-SPECIFIC SIMULATIONS FOR THE TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION THERAPY

Resumo

Transcranial direct current stimulation consists of applying small electric currents through electrodes at
certain points in the scalp, to deliberately alter the brain activity. This technique has been applied in the treatment
of some patients to reduce seizures as in cases of stroke and microcephaly. The experimental results are promising,
but there are open questions such as the best position for the electrodes and the best current magnitude that should
be applied. Therefore, the creation of a computational platform for preliminary tests can bring more efficacy in the

treatment and, consequently, more comfort for the patient. This work aims to build a computer simulation environ-
ment able to evaluate the distribution of electric potential in the patient’s brain due to the transcranial stimulation.

A geometric head model of the patient’s head will be reconstructed from medical images, such as magnetic res-
onance and computed tomography, which will be segmented according to the head region. The electric potential

distribution will be described by the partial differential equation known as the Laplace equation, considering differ-
ent conductivities for each part of the head. The finite element method was chosen to solve the governing equation

due to the ease of adaptation to complex geometries such as the human brain. Then, numerical experiments will
be carried out to assess the electric potential distribution over the patient’s brain, considering different settings of

electrodes position and current magnitude. This work expects to build a computational platform capable of pre-
dicting the electric potential behavior in the brain during electrical stimulation, which can be used to improve the

transcranial stimulation treatment.