{
  "abstract": "BACKGROUND: Enhancing tDCS technology can support the delivery of higher current intensities, enabling broader dose-response studies in human clinical trials. METHODS: High-Capacity tDCS (HC-tDCS) integrates novel electrodes and adaptive current/voltage controlled electronics. Multi-layer HC electrodes include polarity-specific redox layers and engineered hydrogel interfaces, configured for a bifrontotemporal montage. The stimulator design includes adaptive ramps with hybrid voltage-current control and low compliance voltage. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) characterized electrode properties. Tolerability of HC-tDCS was tested at target currents of 1-6 mA (in 1 mA increments) for 30 min on 10 healthy subjects, and compared with conventional tDCS using 2 mA F3-F4 sponge-electrodes. Tolerability was assessed according to the 100 mm visual analogue scale for pain (VAS-P100), skin erythema assessment, thermal imaging, and adverse event questionnaires. MRI-derived computational models predicted brain electric fields. RESULTS: The electrode design incorporating roughened redox layers with polarity-specific electrochemical capacity supports high-charge direct current stimulation. In all subjects, HC-tDCS was well tolerated at all tested doses (1-6 mA) with minor transient adverse events. Mean VAS-P100 (±SD) was 17.17 ± 11.12 for 6 mA HC-tDCS and 18.30 ± 9.49 for 2 mA sponge-electrode tDCS. HC-tDCS operated at lower voltage than sponge-tDCS. Across MRI-derived head models, 6 mA HC-tDCS produced 2.25-3.26 V/m electric fields, ∼4x higher than conventional 2 mA tDCS electric fields of 0.49-0.85 V/m. 6 mA HC-tDCS electric fields can exceed 1 V/m across frontal cortical and deeper limbic regions, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, insula, and amygdala. CONCLUSIONS: HC-tDCS was well tolerated by participants and expands the accessible tDCS dose range, enabling stimulation up to at least 6 mA and substantially higher electric fields throughout cortical and deeper brain regions than conventional 2 mA tDCS.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Biomedical Engineering, The City College of New York, CUNY, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: kdonnery@ccny.cuny.edu",
    "Department of Biomedical Engineering, The City College of New York, CUNY, New York, NY, USA",
    "Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 11,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Kyle Donnery",
      "orcid": "0009-0004-8335-6447"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Mohamad FallahRad",
      "orcid": "0009-0007-7277-4821"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Santiago Osorio",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6745-0490"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Mojtaba Belali Koochesfahani",
      "orcid": "0009-0002-1563-5212"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Niranjan Khadka",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4930-5214"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Matthew Saw",
      "orcid": "0009-0004-9664-0594"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Jinglin Mo",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2009-3852"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Benjamin Babaev",
      "orcid": "0009-0000-1149-6943"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Rayyan Bhuiyan",
      "orcid": "0009-0007-8919-7979"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jana M. Elwassif"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Marom Bikson",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0493-8333"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4jfga3hprdcmc.bib",
  "cited_by": 5,
  "doi": "10.1016/j.brs.2026.103233",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "4jfga3hprdcmc",
  "issns": [
    "1876-4754",
    "1935-861X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2026.103233",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
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      "openalex",
      "2808|Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies"
    ]
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  "pdf_url": "https://www.brainstimjrnl.com/article/S1935-861X(26)00210-X/pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": "42863565",
  "published": "2026-10-12",
  "publisher": "Elsevier BV",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4jfga3hprdcmc.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-07T13:20:56Z",
      "native_id": "W7221535433",
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      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2026.103233"
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2808|Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies",
      "subfield": "neurology"
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  ],
  "title": "High-capacity transcranial direct current stimulation (HC-tDCS)",
  "title_text": "High-capacity transcranial direct current stimulation (HC-tDCS)",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-07T13:20:56Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4jfga3hprdcmc",
  "venue": "Brain stimulation",
  "versions": []
}