EFMouse: A toolbox to model stimulation-induced electric fields in the mouse brain.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering
• Computational Biology

Background:

• In-vivo animal models are crucial for understanding neuromodulation mechanisms of transcranial electrical stimulation (tES).
• Translating findings from animal models to human therapeutic applications of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) is complex due to scale and geometric differences.
• Existing methods for modeling tES in animals have limitations in capturing specific experimental conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce EFMouse, a computational toolbox designed to model intracranial electric fields in mice during tES.
• To enhance the design and interpretation of in-vivo tES studies in mice.
• To facilitate the development of targeted NIBS therapies for humans by improving animal model studies.

Main Methods:

• EFMouse extends previous modeling approaches to simulate electric fields in mice.
• The toolbox incorporates novel features for realistic surgical scenarios, including cranial windows and flexible electrode placement.
• It provides refined measures of electric field focality, direction homogeneity, and quantification using the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas.

Main Results:

• EFMouse enables detailed prediction of electric fields for in-vivo tES experiments in mice.
• The toolbox allows for the simulation of specific experimental setups, such as targeting the mouse visual cortex with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).
• Predictions generated by EFMouse can be tested using in-vivo electrophysiological recordings.

Conclusions:

• EFMouse provides a valuable resource for planning and designing tES studies in mice.
• The toolbox aids in bridging the gap between animal research and human NIBS applications.
• EFMouse is publicly available, promoting further research in neuromodulation and brain stimulation.