Electromagnetic neuromodulation

Competences: 
  • Deep brain stimulation and responsive neuromodulation: finite element simulations, electrode design, closed-loop design.
  • Temporal interference stimulation: neuron models to improve understanding of the underlying mechanism
  • Electromagnetic safety at intermediate frequency: field simulations and neuron modelling to determine compliance of electromagnetic fields with safety guidelines and standards.

Research projects: 

IEEE International Committee of Electromagnetic Safety Subcommittee 6

  • Work group 4 (2017-2023): Exploring the electrostimulation threshold in brain.
  • Work group 8 (2025-): Excitation thresholds and subthreshold effects by morphologically detailed CNS models.
Collaborations: 
  • Nagoya Institute of Technology (prof. Akimasa Hirata)
  • Chiba University (prof. Gomez-Tames)
  • Aalto University (prof. Ilkka Laakso)
  • Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (Dr. Florian Soyka, Dr. Carsten Alteköster)
Key Publications: 

Journal publications

  1. T. Tarnaud,W. Joseph, L. Martens, E. Tanghe, “Dependence of excitability indices on membrane channel dynamics, myelin impedance, electrode location and stimulus properties in myelinated and unmyelinated fibre models", Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing, 56, 2018 (Impact Factor: 1.916, Q2, Rank: 52/105).
  2. J. Gomez-Tames, T. Tarnaud, K. Miwa, A. Hirata, T. Van de Steene, L. Martens, E. Tanghe,W. Joseph, “Brain Cortical Stimulation Thresholds to Different Magnetic Field Sources Exposures at Intermediate Frequencies", IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility, 2019 (Impact Factor: 2.274, Q1, Rank: 165/661).
  3. T. Plovie, R. Schoeters, T. Tarnaud, L. Martens,W. Joseph, E. Tanghe, “Nonlinearities and Timescales in Neural Models of Temporal Interference Stimulation”, Bioelectromagnetics, 2024 (Impact Factor: 1.8, Q3, Rank: 58/109).
  4. F. Soyka, T. Tarnaud, C. Alteköster, R. Schoeters, T. Plovie,W. Joseph, E. Tanghe, “Action Potential Threshold variability for Different Electrostimulation Models and the Impact on Occupational Exposure Limit Values”, Bioelectromagnetics, 2024 (Impact Factor: 1.8, Q3, Rank: 57/109).
  5. Y. Diao,W. Joseph, D. Poljak, L. Giaccone, S. Kodera, I. Laakso, K. Yamazaki, K. Li, M. Cvetković, K. Sasaki, E. Tanghe, M. Cvetkovic,W. El Hajj, T. Hikage, F. Kaburcuk, G. Schmid, A. Š. Nejašmic, T. Tarnaud, V. Anderson, K. R. Foster, T. Samaras, R. A. Tell, S.Watanabe, C-K. Chou, A. Hirata, “Recent advances and future perspective in computational bioelectromagnetics for exposure assessments”, Bioelectromagnetics, 2025. (Impact Factor: 1.8, Q3, Rank: 57/109).

Conference presentations

  1. T. Tarnaud, L. Martens,W. Joseph, E. Tanghe, “Effect of myelin parameters and membrane channel dynamics in the SENN model”, 5th meeting of the COST Action BM1309: European network for innovative uses of EMFs in biomedical applications (EMF - MED),Warsaw, Poland, February 15-17, 2017.
  2. T. Tarnaud, E. Tanghe, L. Martens,W. Joseph, “Effect of myelin parameters and membrane channel dynamics in the SENN model", 2nd International Brain Stimulation Conference, Barcelona, Spain, 5 - 8 March 2017.
  3. T. Tarnaud, E. Tanghe, S. Haesler, C. Mora Lopez, L. Martens,W. Joseph, “Investigation of the stimulation capabilities of a high-resolution neurorecording probe for the application of closed-loop deep brain stimulation", 40th International Engineering in Medicine and Biology Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii, July 17-21, 2018.
  4. D. Nikolayev, E. Tanghe,W. Joseph, T. Tarnaud, C. M. Lopez, M.Welkenhuysen, L. Martens, “Uniform Current Density Electrodes for a High-Density Deep-Brain-Stimulation Lead", 2018 NYC Neuromodulation Conference, NANS Summer Series, 24-26 August 2018, NY, USA.
  5. R. Schoeters, T. Tarnaud,W. Joseph, L. Martens, R. Raedt, and E. Tanghe, “Comparison Between Direct Electrical and Optogenetic Subthalamic Nucleus Stimulation". 2018 EMF-Med firstWorld Conference on Biomedical Applications of Electromagnetic Fields (EMF-Med), Split, Croatia, 10-13 September 2018.
  6. T. Tarnaud,W. Joseph, L. Martens, T. Van Renterghem, E. Tanghe, “Interaction of electrical and ultrasonic neuromodulation: a computational study", 3rd International Brain Stimulation Conference, Vancouver, Canada, 24-27 February, 2019.
  7. J. Gomez-Tames, E. Rashed, A. Hirata, T. Tarnaud, E. Tanghe, T. Van de Steene, L. Martens,W. Joseph, “Setting Reference Levels in the Human Safety Guidelines via Nerve Activation Intercomparison", 2019 Joint International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility and Asia-Pacific International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility, Sapporo (EMC Sapporo & APEMC 2019), Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, June 3-7, 2019.
  8. Nikolayev,W. Joseph, E. Tanghe, M.Welkenhuysen, C. M. Lopez, T. Tarnaud, L. Martens, “Proceedings 63: Low-Profile 3D Microelectrodes with Near-Uniform Current Density for High-Resolution Neural Stimulation". Brain Stimulation, 12(4), e155-e157, 2019. Brain Stimulation, 2019
  9. T. Tarnaud, F. Soyka, R. Schoeters, T. Plovie,W. Joseph, L. Martens, E. Tanghe, “EONS: Evaluation of Non-Sinusoidal Magnetic Fields for Electromagnetic Safety to Intermediate Frequencies”, Joint Meeting of The Bioelectromagnetics Society and the European BioElectromagnetics Association BioEM2022, Nagoya, Japan, 19-24 June 2022.
  10. F. Soyka, T. Tarnaud,W. Joseph, L. Martens, E. Tanghe, “The Influence of Membrane Channel Dynamics on Occupational Exposure Limit Values”, Joint Meeting of The Bioelectromagnetics Society and the European BioElectromagnetics Association BioEM2022, Nagoya, Japan, 19-24 June 2022.
  11. J. Gomez-Tames, T. Tarnaud,W. Joseph, E. Tanghe, A. Hirata, “Evaluation of Cortical Electrostimulation Thresholds in Human for Uniform Magnetic Field Exposure at Intermediate Frequencies”, Joint Meeting of The Bioelectromagnetics Society and the European BioElectromagnetics Association BioEM2022, Nagoya, Japan, 19-24 June 2022.
  12. T. Plovie, R. Schoeters, T. Tarnaud, L. Martens,W. Joseph, E. Tanghe, “Influence of Temporal Interference Stimulation Parameters on Point Neuron Excitability”, 44th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC’22), Glasgow, Scotland, UK, 11-15 July 2022.
  13. F. Soyka, C. Alteköster, T. Tarnaud, R. Schoeters, T. Plovie,W. Joseph, E. Tanghe, “Comparing the SENN and the MRG Electrostimulation Models in the Context of Occupational Exposure Limit Values”, Joint Meeting of The Bioelectromagnetics Society and the European BioElectromagnetics Association BioEM2023, Oxford, UK, 18-23 June 2023.
  14. T. Plovie, R. Schoeters, T. Tarnaud,W. Joseph, E. Tanghe, “Contribution of Ion Channel Nonlinearities to the Mechanism of Temporal Interference Stimulation”, Joint Meeting of The Bioelectromagnetics Society and the European BioElectromagnetics Association, BioEM2024, Crete, Greece, 16-21 June 2024.