Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Reduces Anxiety, Depression and Plasmatic Corticosterone in a Rat Model of Atypical Generalized Epilepsy

Author(s)

Gouveia, Flavia Venetucci ^{[1, 2]} ; Germann, Jurgen ^{[3, 4]} ; Oliveira, Caroline C. ^[1] ; Castro, Marina C. ^[1] ; Antunes, Geiza F. ^[1] ; Gomes, V, Gisele C. ; Pinto, Tais R. C. ^[5] ; Martinez, Raquel C. R. ^{[1, 6]} ; Valle, Angela C. ^[5]

Affiliation

^[1] Sirio Libanes Hosp, Div Neurosci, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Hosp Sick Children Res Inst, Program Neurosci & Mental Hlth, Toronto, ON - Canada

^[3] Univ Toronto, Toronto, ON - Canada

^[4] Univ Hlth Network, Dept Surg, Div Neurosurg, Toronto, ON - Canada

^[5] Gomes, Gisele C., V, Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Med, Dept Pathol, Lab Neurosci LIM 01, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[6] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Med, Inst Psychiat, LIM 23, Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Neuroscience; v. 480, p. 32-41, JAN 1 2022.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Affective disorders (i.e. anxiety and depression) are commonly observed in patients with epilepsy and induce seizure aggravation. Animal models of epilepsy that exhibit affective disorder features are essential in developing new neuromodulatory treatments. GEAS-W rats (Generalized Epilepsy with Absence Seizures, Wistar background) are an inbred model of generalized epilepsy showing spontaneous spike-wave discharges concomitant with immobility. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is a safe non-invasive neuromodulatory therapy used to modulate dysfunctional circuitries frequently and successfully applied in affective disorders for symptom alleviation. Here we investigated anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of tDCS in GEAS-W rats and the role of corticosterone as a possible mechanism of action. GEAS-W and Wistar rats were randomly divided into control, sham-tDCS and active-tDCS groups. Both tDCS groups received 15 sessions of sham or active-tDCS (1 mA, cathode). Behavioural tests included the Open Field and Forced Swimming tests followed by corticosterone analysis. We observed a main effect of treatment and a significant treatment by strain interaction on anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviours, with active-tDCS GEAS-W rats entering the center of the open field more often and showing less immobility in the forced swimming test. Furthermore, there was a main effect of treatment on corticosterone with active-tDCS animals showing marked reduction in plasmatic levels. This study described preclinical evidence to support tDCS treatment of affective disorders in epilepsy and highlights corticosterone as a possible mechanism of action. (C) 2021 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/08575-7 - The role of dopaminergic modulation in the lateral nucleus of amygdala during active avoidance response
• Grantee: Raquel Chacon Ruiz Martinez
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• FAPESP's process: 17/10466-8 - Towards revealing aggression: imaging the aggressive brain
• Grantee: Flavia Venetucci Gouveia
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 13/20602-5 - Prospective analyses of the functional results of philanthropist bilateral amygdalectomy in patients with refractory aggression
• Grantee: Flavia Venetucci Gouveia
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate