Personalizing Brain Stimulation for Psychiatric Disorders: From Circuits to Closed-Loop Control

Am J Psychiatry. 2026 Mar 1;183(3):169-179. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20251327. Epub 2026 Mar 1.

ABSTRACT

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is an established treatment for depression, yet response rates remain at 50% 1 month after treatment. Despite two decades of clinical use, substantial room for improvement remains. This overview examines biomarker-guided personalization of brain stimulation. The authors trace the translational path from invasive circuit-level insights through noninvasive biomarkers to clinical deployment. With validated biomarkers, systematic optimization becomes possible: stimulation parameter tuning, state-dependent approaches, augmentation strategies, and closed-loop systems. The path forward requires randomized trials demonstrating that biomarker-guided personalization improves outcomes beyond standard care, justifying increased complexity and costs. Success would mark an important pathway in interventional psychiatry's evolution to precision medicine.

PMID:41764060 | DOI:10.1176/appi.ajp.20251327