CRCNS Research Proposal: Collaborative Research: US-German Collaboration toward a biophysically principled network model of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Neurological and psychiatric diseases are a major burden on society and new treatment options are strongly needed. One strategic goal of NIBIB is to develop innovative biomedical technologies that integrate engineering and life sciences to improve health. TMS is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique that can directly interfere with brain activity. TMS is FDA-approved for a range of brain disorders, however, shows mixed efficacy. Thus, improved stimulation protocols would have a major impact in providing better treatments for brain diseases associated with alterations in cortical excitability. Here, we propose to develop a multiscale network model of TMS that will combine electric field simulations with neuron models and molecular simulations of intracellular calcium.