Multi-scale modeling toolbox for single neuron and subcellular activity under Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Area of Science:

• Computational neuroscience
• Biophysics
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique.
• The precise neural mechanisms and cellular responses to TMS remain incompletely understood.
• Existing macroscopic models do not capture TMS effects at the cellular and subcellular levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a multi-scale computational modeling approach for predicting TMS-induced cellular and subcellular neural responses.
• To introduce the open-source Neuron Modeling for TMS (NeMo-TMS) toolbox.

Main Methods:

• Generating accurate neuron models from morphological data.
• Coupling these models with TMS-induced electric fields.
• Simulating cellular and subcellular responses to single-pulse and repetitive TMS.

Main Results:

• Demonstration of the NeMo-TMS toolbox's capabilities through provided examples.
• Successful simulation of neural responses to TMS at multiple scales.

Conclusions:

• NeMo-TMS provides an unprecedented level of detail for modeling TMS physical and physiological effects.
• The toolbox facilitates a deeper understanding of TMS mechanisms, particularly for plasticity-inducing protocols.