IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-58095-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A wearable repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation device

Author

Listed:
  • Zihui Qi

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Hao Liu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Fang Jin

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yihang Wang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Xuefeng Lu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Ling Liu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Zhengyi Yang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Xiaoxiang Institute for Brain Health and Yongzhou Central Hospital)

  • Lingzhong Fan

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Ming Song

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Xiaoxiang Institute for Brain Health and Yongzhou Central Hospital)

  • Nianming Zuo

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Tianzi Jiang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Xiaoxiang Institute for Brain Health and Yongzhou Central Hospital)

Abstract

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is widely used to treat various neuropsychiatric disorders and to explore the brain, but its considerable power consumption and large size limit its potential for broader utility, such as applications in free behaviors and in home and community settings. We addressed this challenge through lightweight magnetic core coil designs and high-power-density, high-voltage pulse driving techniques and successfully developed a battery-powered wearable rTMS device. The combined weight of the stimulator and coil is only 3 kg. The power consumption was reduced to 10% of commercial rTMS devices even though the stimulus intensity and repetition frequency are comparable. We demonstrated the effectiveness of this device during free walking, showing that neural activity associated with the legs can enhance the cortex excitability associated with the arms. This advancement allows for high-frequency rTMS modulation during free behaviors and enables convenient home and community rTMS treatments.

Suggested Citation

  • Zihui Qi & Hao Liu & Fang Jin & Yihang Wang & Xuefeng Lu & Ling Liu & Zhengyi Yang & Lingzhong Fan & Ming Song & Nianming Zuo & Tianzi Jiang, 2025. "A wearable repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation device," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-58095-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58095-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-58095-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-58095-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-58095-9. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.