Noninvasive Brain Stimulation in Translational Cognitive Neuroscience-Applications in Aphasia and Beyond: 2025 H. Houston Merritt Award Lecture.

Abstract

Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has emerged as a transformative tool in both cognitive neuroscience research and the treatment of a growing range of neuropsychiatric conditions. This commentary, based on the 2025 H. Houston Merritt Lecture, explores how NIBS can be applied within a translational cognitive neuroscience framework that bridges theoretical models of cognitive function with targeted neural interventions. Drawing on over 15 years of research, the major focus of this piece is on the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to characterize and enhance language function in persons with aphasia (PWA). A significant body of work has examined the role of the right hemisphere, particularly the right pars triangularis, which may exert a maladaptive influence within reorganized language networks in many PWA. Inhibitory TMS targeting this region has been shown to produce both transient and sustained improvements in language performance. Key predictors of response to TMS include the characteristics of participants' language deficits and genetic differences that influence neuroplasticity. Network neuroscience approaches can also enhance predictive accuracy by revealing how individual variations in brain structure influence stimulation outcomes. While TMS remains the most extensively studied NIBS modality, transcranial electrical stimulation is gaining momentum, with promising results in both poststroke and primary progressive aphasia. Emerging modalities such as focused ultrasound and transcranial temporal interference stimulation are also on the rise as tools for enhancing brain performance. However, the expanding use of NIBS also raises ethical considerations that must be addressed to ensure its equitable and responsible deployment. Ultimately, NIBS represents a powerful convergence of neuroscience and technology, offering renewed hope for restoring cognitive function in individuals affected by neurologic disease.