Neural mass modelling of brain stimulation to Alleviate Schizophrenia biomarkers in brain rhythms.
Computers in biology and medicine June 1, 2025 Swapna Sasi, Basabdatta Sen Bhattacharya, Vanteemar S Sreeraj et al.
A computational model of the brain's thalamo-cortico-thalamic network, built from twelve neural populations, reproduces the abnormal EEG oscillations seen in schizophrenia by simulating the effects of ketamine, which blocks NMDAR receptors. The model shows that ketamine increases excitatory activity and alters gamma and sigma band oscillations, matching experimental observations. Adding a neuroplasticity model of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and applying simulated current to selected pathways reverses these ketamine-induced changes. The work suggests that neural mass models can help predict personalized tDCS protocols for treating schizophrenia.