Direct effects of transcranial electric stimulation on brain circuits in rats and humans

Mihály Vöröslakos, Yuichi Takeuchi, Kitti Brinyiczki, Tamás Zombori, Azahara Oliva, Antonio Fernández-Ruiz, Gábor Kozák, Zsigmond Tamás Kincses, Béla Iványi, György Buzsáki () and Antal Berényi ()
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Mihály Vöröslakos: University of Szeged
Yuichi Takeuchi: University of Szeged
Kitti Brinyiczki: University of Szeged
Tamás Zombori: University of Szeged
Azahara Oliva: University of Szeged
Antonio Fernández-Ruiz: University of Szeged
Gábor Kozák: University of Szeged
Zsigmond Tamás Kincses: University of Szeged
Béla Iványi: University of Szeged
György Buzsáki: New York University
Antal Berényi: University of Szeged

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-17

Abstract: Abstract Transcranial electric stimulation is a non-invasive tool that can influence brain activity; however, the parameters necessary to affect local circuits in vivo remain to be explored. Here, we report that in rodents and human cadaver brains, ~75% of scalp-applied currents are attenuated by soft tissue and skull. Using intracellular and extracellular recordings in rats, we find that at least 1 mV/mm voltage gradient is necessary to affect neuronal spiking and subthreshold currents. We designed an ‘intersectional short pulse’ stimulation method to inject sufficiently high current intensities into the brain, while keeping the charge density and sensation on the scalp surface relatively low. We verify the regional specificity of this novel method in rodents; in humans, we demonstrate how it affects the amplitude of simultaneously recorded EEG alpha waves. Our combined results establish that neuronal circuits are instantaneously affected by intensity currents that are higher than those used in conventional protocols.

Date: 2018
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-02928-3

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-02928-3

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