title: Effects of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on spontaneously hypertensive rats, an animal model of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
abstract: The current treatment of choice for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is pharmacotherapy. A search for new treatment options is underway, however, as the wide application of drugs to the general population of patients with ADHD is limited by side effects and the variance of pharmacokinetic effects of the drugs in each patient. In the present study, we applied repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive treatment used in a number of other psychiatric disorders, to spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), an animal model of ADHD, in order to assess the efficacy of the treatment in modifying behavioural symptoms as well as levels of dopamine, noradrenaline, serotonin, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). A total of fifteen sessions of high-frequency rTMS treatment were administered. Behavioural symptoms were observed using open field, Y-maze, and elevated plus-maze tests. Upon completion of the experiments, rats were sacrificed, and the neurochemical changes in brain tissue were analysed using high performance liquid chromatography and Western blotting. The SHRs treated with rTMS tended to exhibit less locomotor activity in the open field test over the course of treatment, but there was no improvement in inattention as measured by the Y-maze test. Furthermore, BDNF concentration increased and noradrenaline concentration decreased in the prefrontal cortex of SHRs treated with rTMS. The results of the present preclinical study indicate that rTMS may constitute a new modality of treatment for patients with ADHD, through further evaluation of specific treatment parameters as well as safety and efficacy in humans are required.
authors.affiliation: Myunggok Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon 35365, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jungyun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Myunggok Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon 35365, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Heamen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon 35365, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seong-Lan
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon 35015, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sungju
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jee
authors.affiliation: Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Keun-Ah
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Cheon
authors.affiliation: Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Ho
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Myunggok Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon 35365, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Konyang University Hospital, Daejeon 35365, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Myunggok Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon 35365, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Konyang University Hospital, Daejeon 35365, Republic of Korea; Department of Medicine, the Graduate School of Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: imwy@kyuh.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Woo-Young
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Im
authors.affiliation: Myunggok Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon 35365, Republic of Korea; Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon 35365, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jaeku@konyang.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jaeku
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000628:therapy*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000009:adverse effects; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000009:adverse effects; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D013997:Time Factors; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D008774:Methylphenidate
keywords: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); Behavior analysis; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF); Catecholamines; Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS); Spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR)