Connectivity-Optimized Individualized Localization (COIL)

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Simon Eickhoff; Professor Dr. Timm Pöppl
• Subject Area: Biological Psychiatry
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 519094028

The overarching goal of this project is to develop a tool for connectivity- guided targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). For broad applicability, the underlying algorithm needs to robustly provide individually optimized targets for high-precision personalized stimulation. To balance individual precision and robustness, large-scale information from normative datasets and data from patients with depression will serve to define the critical connectivity profiles of the DLPFC. We will apply machine-learning algorithms to these profiles to identify the optimal hotspot within this region in individual subjects. Implementation of the algorithm into a user-friendly software package will yield an impactful tool for TMS therapy of treatment-resistant depression.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigators: Professor Dr. Berthold Langguth; Professor Dr. Martin Schecklmann