title: Neuroprotective effect of cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation in a rat stroke model.
abstract: Experimental focal brain ischemia generates in the penumbra recurrent depolarizations which spread across the injured cortex inducing infarct growth. Transcranial direct current stimulation can induce a lasting, polarity-specific, modulation of cortical excitability. To verify whether cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation could reduce the infarct size and the number of depolarizations, focal ischemia was induced in the rat by the 3 vessels occlusion technique. In the first experiment 12 ischemic rats received cathodal stimulation (alternating 15 min on and 15 min off) starting 45 min after middle cerebral artery occlusion and lasting 4 h. In the second experiment 12 ischemic rats received cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation with the same protocol but starting soon after middle cerebral artery occlusion and lasting 6 h. In both experiments controls were 12 ischemic rats not receiving stimulation. Cathodal stimulation reduced the infarct volume in the first experiment by 20% (p=0.002) and in the second by 30% (p=0.003). The area of cerebral infarction was smaller in animals receiving cathodal stimulation in both experiments (p=0.005). Cathodal stimulation reduced the number of depolarizations (p=0.023) and infarct volume correlated with the number of depolarizations (p=0.048). Our findings indicate that cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation exert a neuroprotective effect in the acute phase of stroke possibly decreasing the number of spreading depolarizations. These findings may have translational relevance and open a new avenue in neuroprotection of stroke in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Imaging, University "G. d'Annunzio", via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy; Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland Via Tesserete 46, 6903 Lugano, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Notturno
authors.affiliation: Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland Via Tesserete 46, 6903 Lugano, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pace
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Imaging, University "G. d'Annunzio", via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy; Institute of Advanced Biomedical Technologies, University "G. d'Annunzio", via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zappasodi
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinik für Neurologie, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Etrugul
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cam
authors.affiliation: Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland Via Tesserete 46, 6903 Lugano, Switzerland; Universitätsklinik für Neurologie, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Claudio L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Bassetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Imaging, University "G. d'Annunzio", via dei Vestini 31, 66100 Chieti, Italy; Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland Via Tesserete 46, 6903 Lugano, Switzerland. Electronic address: uncini@unich.it.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uncini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D013181:Cortical Spreading Depression / Q000502:physiology; D019610:Cytoprotection; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors; D065908:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Brain infarct volume; Cortical spreading depression; Neuroprotection; Non-invasive brain stimulation; Peri-infarction depolarizations; Rat stroke model