Effects of AC induced electric fields on neuronal firing sensitivity and activity patterns

Understanding how neurons respond to time-varying electric fields is essential for both basic neuroscience and the development of neuromodulation strategies. However, the mechanisms by which alternating-current induced electric fields (AC-IEF) influence neuronal sensitivity and firing remain unclear.

We developed a modified two-compartment Pinsky-Rinzel (PR) neuron model incorporating AC-IEF stimulation. Using systematic simulations, we examined firing responses across a wide range of field frequencies, amplitudes, and intrinsic membrane parameters, including inter-compartmental conductance and potassium reversal potential.

Neurons exhibited no firing or sensitivity when the field amplitude was less than twice the baseline membrane potential, regardless of conductance or reversal potential. Sensitivity increased markedly with amplitude: for example, when the amplitude exceeded 0.5 mV/cm, maximum firing rates rose by up to 45% and the sensitivity frequency range extended to 10-50 Hz. Phase-locking phenomena (1:1 and 2:1) were observed, with bandwidths widening as amplitude increased. For amplitudes below 30 mV, firing pattern transitions depended strongly on inter-compartmental conductance, whereas amplitudes ≥30 mV produced a consistent progression ending in subthreshold oscillations. Similar parameter-dependent transitions occurred for different potassium reversal potentials, converging at high amplitudes.

These results reveal a parameter-dependent mechanism by which AC-IEF modulate neuronal excitability. The findings provide qualitative rather than strictly quantitative insights into how external electromagnetic environments can shape neural activity, offering new directions for targeted neuromodulation in both health and disease.