Transcranial direct current stimulation decreases convulsions and spatial memory deficits following pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus in immature rats.
OBJECTIVE
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a recently available, noninvasive brain stimulation technique. The effects of cathodal tDCS on convulsions and spatial memory after status epilepticus (SE) in immature animals were investigated.


METHODS
Rats underwent lithium-pilocarpine-induced SE at postnatal day (P) 20-21 and received daily 30-min cathodal tDCS for 2 weeks at P23-36 through a unilateral epicranial electrode at 200μA. After tDCS, convulsions over 2 weeks were estimated by 20-h/day video monitoring. The rats were tested in a water maze for spatial learning at P50-53 and the brains were examined for cell loss and mossy fiber sprouting.


RESULTS
Long-term treatment with weak cathodal tDCS reduced SE-induced hippocampal cell loss, supragranular and CA3 mossy fiber sprouting, and convulsions (reduction of 21%) in immature rats. The tDCS treatment also rescued cognitive impairment following SE.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggested that cathodal tDCS has neuroprotective effects on the immature rat hippocampus after pilocarpine-induced SE, including reduced sprouting and subsequent improvements in cognitive performance. Such treatment might also have an antiepileptic effect.
Kamida
Tohru
T
Department of Neurosurgery, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Hasama-machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan. kamida@med.oita-u.ac.jp
Kong
Shiqi
S
Eshima
Nobuoki
N
Abe
Tatsuya
T
Fujiki
Minoru
M
Kobayashi
Hidenori
H
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D018021:Lithium Chloride; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D019599:Mossy Fibers, Hippocampal / Q000473:pathology; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000517:prevention & control; D010862:Pilocarpine; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012640:Seizures / Q000628:therapy*; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*
D010862:Pilocarpine; D018021:Lithium Chloride