A finite element analysis of the effect of electrode area and inter-electrode distance on the spatial distribution of the current density in tDCS

We investigated the effect of electrode area and inter-electrode distance on the spatial distribution of the current density in transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). For this purpose, we used the finite element method to compute the distribution of the current density in a four layered spherical head model using various electrode montages, corresponding to a range of electrode sizes and inter-electrode distances.

We found that smaller electrodes required slightly less current to achieve a constant value of the current density at a reference point on the brain surface located directly under the electrode center. Under these conditions, smaller electrodes also produced a more focal current density distribution in the brain, i.e., the magnitude of the current density fell more rapidly with distance from the reference point.

The combination of two electrodes with different areas produced an asymmetric current distribution that could lead to more effective and localized neural modulation under the smaller electrode than under the larger one. Focality improved rapidly with decreasing electrode size when the larger electrode sizes were considered but the improvement was less marked for the smaller electrode sizes.

Also, focality was not affected significantly by inter-electrode distance unless two large electrodes were placed close together. Increasing the inter-electrode distance resulted in decreased shunting of the current through the scalp and the CSF, and decreasing electrode area resulted in increased current density on the scalp under the edges of the electrode.

Our calculations suggest that when working with conventional electrodes (25–35 cm2), one of the electrodes should be placed just “behind” the target relative to the other electrode, for maximum current density on the target. Also electrodes with areas in the range 3.5 to 12 cm2 may provide a better compromise between focality and current density in the scalp than the traditional electrodes.

Finally, the use of multiple small return electrodes may be more efficient than the use of a single large return electrode.