# Investigating circuit-specific effects of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

> **NIH NIH F30** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2023 · $39,776

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is noninvasive method for brain stimulation and is an FDA-
approved treatment for major depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. It also shows promise in treating
numerous other neurological and psychiatric disorders. High frequency (HF) rTMS targeting prefrontal cortex
(PFC), the original and most widely used paradigm, is thought to exert its therapeutic effects by enhancing
cortical excitability. However, clinical outcomes following HF-rTMS treatment are variable, and the detailed
mechanisms of action are not known. Previous mechanistic studies have been limited by a lack of established
animal models of rTMS with strong face validity. Our lab has acquired the first rodent TMS coil capable of
generating focal, suprathreshold stimulation of individual cortical regions in the rodent brain. I will use this coil
to determine how in vivo chronic HF-rTMS modifies prefrontal excitatory neurons and which projection classes
underlie improved behavioral outcomes. By combining rTMS with cutting edge neuroscience tools, I will test
the hypothesis that HF-rTMS specifically induces structural plasticity in intratelencephalic (IT) circuits and that
activation of these circuits underlies HF-rTMS-induced changes in behavior. In Aim 1, I will determine how and
where chronic HF-rTMS induces synaptic changes by using sparse fluorescent labeling of excitatory neurons
in PFC to quantify dendritic spine density. In Aim 2, I will use chemogenetic approaches to determine whether
subclasses of prefrontal neurons underlie behavioral effects of HF-rTMS. This proposal addresses a pressing
need to understand which circuits mediate the effects of HF-rTMS on behavior. This research will inform the
rational design of more effective rTMS treatments that precisely target specific deficits underlying the
pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10827239
- **Project number:** 1F30MH134633-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael W. Gongwer
- **Activity code:** F30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $39,776
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-09-16 → 2025-09-15

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10827239

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10827239, Investigating circuit-specific effects of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (1F30MH134633-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10827239. Licensed CC0.

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