Ventral striatum temporal interference brain stimulation enhances the reward-positivity event-related potential and reduces anxiety.
Neuroimage July 1, 2026 Jonathan S Ryan, Timothy J Mcdermott, Boris Botzanowski et al.
Temporal interference (TI) electrical stimulation targeting the ventral striatum during mindfulness meditation increased the reward positivity (RewP) brain response and reduced anxiety in healthy adults. Nineteen participants (ages 18-36) received both active 8 Hz TI and sham stimulation across two sessions while meditating. Active TI, but not sham, boosted the RewP difference between winning and losing from before to after meditation, an effect that persisted in those who received active TI first. The RewP increase was driven by larger responses to wins. Anxiety decreased only with active TI, and this emotional change corresponded with greater RewP to wins. The findings suggest TI can engage deep reward circuits during meditation, producing short-term neural and emotional effects.