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Event ANT Neuromeeting 2026 - Philadelphia starts on Apr 15, 2026, 3:30:00 AM (US/Eastern)
Tuning in: Shifting from Standardized to Personalized rTMS Protocols
4/16/26, 1:35 PM - 4/16/26, 2:10 PM (US/Eastern) (35 minutes)
Tuning in: Shifting from Standardized to Personalized rTMS Protocols
Juliana Corlier, PhD
Assistant Professor-in-residence at University of California, Los Angeles
Juliana Corlier, PhD
Assistant Professor-in-residence at University of California, Los Angeles
Juliana Corlier, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Neuromodulation Division of the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. She currently serves as the Assistant Director of Research for the UCLA TMS Clinical and Research Service.

With an international pedigree including degrees from University College London, École Normale Supérieure, Sorbonne University and UCLA, Dr. Corlier brings a global perspective to the field of psychiatric research.

Throughout her training, Dr. Corlier leveraged advanced quantitative analysis of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Electroencephalography (EEG), and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) data across different patient populations to bridge the gap between neuroimaging, neuromodulation, and clinical care.

Her current research focuses on the use of TMS for the treatment of depression, chronic pain, and other conditions. Her particular interest is the use of TMS-EEG methods to personalize and improve neuromodulation treatment and advance our understanding of the mechanisms of action of TMS.

This talk explores the concept of “tuning” in TMS to the individual’s EEG activity – specifically the alignment of the frequency of stimulation to ongoing brain rhythms.

Early research established the clinical importance of """"individual alpha frequency"""" (IAF) proximity to the stimulation frequency, demonstrating that the distance between a patient's baseline alpha rhythm and the standard 10 Hz stimulation frequency is a significant predictor of treatment response.
Moving beyond the alpha frequency band, we first demonstrated that stimulation at personalized resonant frequencies (e.g. 1Hz, 5Hz,10Hz, 15 Hz) is feasible and potentially more effective than standardized protocols. We also showed that different rhythmic stimulation and patterned stimulation (iTBS) elicited distinct activation across brain networks.
Building on this, we developed a novel method for identifying individual """"resonant frequencies"""" (RF) based on a TMS-EEG sampling procedure of EEG spectral responses after stimulation at frequencies between 3 and 20 Hz. When systematically comparing the entrainment of oscillations for each stimulation frequency, we did not find a direct 1:1 relationship between the input frequency and the brain's oscillatory response.
Instead, most patients exhibit one or several dominant response frequencies that remain consistent regardless of the stimulation frequency applied. However, the spatial distribution of the EEG response can vary significantly across stimulation frequencies.

These results suggest that oscillatory entrainment is governed by internal brain states and network connectivity rather than simple linear driving. We conclude that the future of rTMS efficacy lies in tailoring protocols to these specific neurophysiological """"fingerprints"""" to optimize therapeutic outcomes.