Experimental and numerical methods to ensure comprehensible and replicable alternating current electrical stimulation experiments

Julius Zimmermann; Franziska Sahm; Nils Arbeiter; Henning Bathel; Zezhong Song; Rainer Bader; Anika Jonitz-Heincke; Ursula van Rienen

doi:10.1016/j.bioelechem.2023.108395

Experimental and numerical methods to ensure comprehensible and replicable alternating current electrical stimulation experiments

Bioelectrochemistry. 2023 Jun:151:108395. doi: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2023.108395. Epub 2023 Feb 3.

Authors

Julius Zimmermann¹, Franziska Sahm², Nils Arbeiter³, Henning Bathel³, Zezhong Song², Rainer Bader⁴, Anika Jonitz-Heincke⁵, Ursula van Rienen⁶

Affiliations

¹ Institute of General Electrical Engineering, University of Rostock, D-18051 Rostock, Germany. Electronic address: julius.zimmermann@uni-rostock.de.
² Department of Orthopaedics, Biomechanics and Implant Technology Research Laboratory, Rostock University Medical Center, D-18057 Rostock, Germany.
³ Institute of General Electrical Engineering, University of Rostock, D-18051 Rostock, Germany.
⁴ Department of Orthopaedics, Biomechanics and Implant Technology Research Laboratory, Rostock University Medical Center, D-18057 Rostock, Germany; Department Life, Light & Matter, University of Rostock, D-18051 Rostock, Germany.
⁵ Department of Orthopaedics, Biomechanics and Implant Technology Research Laboratory, Rostock University Medical Center, D-18057 Rostock, Germany. Electronic address: anika.jonitz-heincke@med.uni-rostock.de.
⁶ Institute of General Electrical Engineering, University of Rostock, D-18051 Rostock, Germany; Department Life, Light & Matter, University of Rostock, D-18051 Rostock, Germany; Department of Ageing of Individuals and Society, Interdisciplinary Faculty, University of Rostock, D-18051 Rostock, Germany. Electronic address: ursula.van-rienen@uni-rostock.de.

PMID: 36773506
DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2023.108395

Abstract

Electrical stimulation has received increasing attention for decades for its application in regenerative medicine. Applications range from bone growth stimulation over cartilage regeneration to deep brain stimulation. Despite all research efforts, translation into clinical use has not yet been achieved in all fields. Recent critical assessments have identified limited documentation and monitoring of preclinical in vitro and in vivo experiments as possible reasons hampering clinical translation. In this work, we present experimental and numerical methods to determine the crucial quantities of electrical stimulation such as the electric field or current density. Knowing the stimulation quantities contributes to comprehending the biological response to electrical stimulation and to finally developing a reliable dose-response curve. To demonstrate the methods, we consider a direct contact electrical stimulation experiment that stands representative for a broad class of stimulation experiments. Electrochemical effects are addressed and methods to integrate them into numerical simulations are evaluated. A focus is laid on affordable lab equipment and reproducible open-source software solutions. Finally, clear guidelines to ensure replicability of electrical stimulation experiments are formulated.

Keywords: Computational electromagnetics; Computational modelling; Electrical stimulation; Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy; Regenerative medicine; Replicability.

MeSH terms

Electric Stimulation*