{
  "id": 5034556,
  "title": "Spacing theta-burst stimulation enhances synaptic potentiation in the vulnerable prefrontal cortex",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/spacing-theta-burst-stimulation-enhances-synaptic-potentiation-in-the",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-01T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.27.746330v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A study examines how intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) influences synaptic connections in the prefrontal cortex, which plays a key role in mood regulation. The research demonstrates that a standard iTBS pattern, involving 600 stimuli over three minutes, successfully strengthens synaptic recruitment in adult mouse prefrontal cortex tissue. However, this synaptic potentiation becomes less consistent in a mouse model of depressive-like symptoms caused by prolonged social isolation.\n\nDuring the investigation of the complex calcium elevations occurring during clinical iTBS, researchers found that while the induction peaks reached higher levels in social isolation, they no longer accurately predicted the success of synaptic potentiation. To improve the regulation of calcium dynamics, the study explores a spaced iTBS protocol, which delivers fewer stimuli (90) over a longer period (10 minutes). This spaced iTBS approach in the adult prefrontal cortex limits the elevation of calcium during induction while enhancing long-term potentiation (LTP) following both juvenile and adult social isolation. The findings highlight innovative methods for probing and improving synaptic plasticity in the prefrontal cortex, which is particularly vulnerable to stress-related disorders like depression.",
  "summary": "Neuromodulation with intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) is a clinical treatment for major depression. One postulated mechanism of iTBS is to strengthen the synaptic connections which activate the prefrontal cortex to regulate mood. With ex vivo electrical stimulation and neuronal calcium imaging, we demonstrate that a common, clinical iTBS pattern (600-stimuli, ~3-min) reliably…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}