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Abstract
To examine the relationship between the ratio of injected current to electrode area
(I/A) and the current density at a fixed target point in the brain under the electrode
during transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).
Numerical methods were used to calculate the current density distribution in a standard
spherical head model as well as in a homogeneous cylindrical conductor.
The calculations using the cylindrical model showed that, for the same I/A ratio,
the current density at a fixed depth under the electrode was lower for the smaller
of the two electrodes. Using the spherical model, the current density at a fixed target
point in the brain under the electrode was found to be a non-linear function of the
I/A ratio. For smaller electrodes, more current than predicted by the I/A ratio was
required to achieve a predetermined current density in the brain.
A non-linear relationship exists between the injected current, the electrode area
and the current density at a fixed target point in the brain, which can be described
in terms of a montage-specific I-A curve.
I-A curves calculated using realistic head models or obtained experimentally should
be used when adjusting the current for different electrode sizes or when comparing
the effect of different current-electrode area combinations.