Researchers from Boise State University and New York University published new findings on a non-invasive brain stimulation therapy, according to a March 24 announcement. The research, led by Omid Yaghmazadeh, assistant professor in Boise State’s College of Engineering, introduces Transcranial Radio Frequency Stimulation as a potential alternative to surgical deep brain stimulation for neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, depression and autism spectrum disorder affect one in six people worldwide. Traditional treatments like Deep Brain Stimulation require surgery to implant electrodes into the brain but carry significant risks including speech difficulties and mood changes.
Yaghmazadeh said that while radio frequency energy is widely used in clinical settings such as MRI and cancer hyperthermia, its use for direct brain stimulation has not been fully explored. “We are the first to provide in vivo demonstration of its potential as a highly effective, non-invasive modality for both suppressing and exciting neural activity,” Yaghmazadeh said.
Working with György Buzsáki of New York University, the team found that radio frequency energy could be precisely directed within the brain using multiple antennas. “Radio frequency can penetrate very well inside the brain, and because we can use several antennas, we can stimulate a very focal point in the brain or we can stimulate a larger brain point–up to the whole brain,” Yaghmazadeh said. Buzsáki added: “RF energy waves can effectively penetrate deep into tissue and be steered towards specific targets. Moreover, non-invasive radio frequency stimulation has the unique advantage of being able to suppress neuronal activity.”
The research team demonstrated their approach using mouse models by safely modulating temperature at target locations within the animals’ brains. These changes produced reliable behavioral responses without surgery.
“Our lab investigates the fundamental interactions between electromagnetic waves and the nervous system,” Yaghmazadeh said. He stated that their goal is to develop therapeutic platforms for neurological disorders through neurotechnological innovation.
The findings were published in January 2026 in Brain Stimulation journal (DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2026.103032). The work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health.
