Multi-scale modelling of location- and frequency-dependent synaptic plasticity induced by repetitive magnetic stimulation in the dendrites of pyramidal neurons

Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) induces long-term changes in synapses, but the mechanisms behind these modifications are not fully understood. Although there has been progress in the development of multi-scale modeling tools, no comprehensive module for simulating rTMS-induced synaptic plasticity in biophysically realistic neurons exists. Objective: We developed a modelling framework that allows the replication and detailed prediction of long-term changes of excitatory synapses in neurons stimulated by rTMS. Methods: We implemented a voltage-dependent plasticity model that has been previously established for simulating frequency-, time-, and compartment-dependent spatio-temporal changes of excitatory synapses in neuronal dendrites. The plasticity model can be incorporated into biophysical neuronal models and coupled to electrical field simulations. Results: We show that the plasticity modelling framework replicates long-term potentiation (LTP)-like plasticity in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells evoked by 10-Hz repetitive magnetic stimulation (rMS). In line with previous experimental studies, this plasticity was strongly distance dependent and localised to the proximal synapses of the neuron. We predicted a decrease in the plasticity amplitude for 5 Hz and 1 Hz protocols with decreasing frequency. Finally, we successfully modelled plasticity in distal synapses upon local electrical theta-burst stimulation (TBS) and predicted proximal and distal plasticity for rMS TBS. Notably, the rMS TBS-evoked synaptic plasticity exhibited robust facilitation by dendritic spikes and low sensitivity to inhibitory suppression. Conclusion: The plasticity modelling framework enables precise simulations of LTP-like cellular effects with high spatio-temporal resolution, enhancing the efficiency of parameter screening and the development of plasticity-inducing rTMS protocols.