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Open Access Research Article Issue
Effects of lateral habenula and ventral medial prefrontal cortex deep brain stimulation in rats
Journal of Neurorestoratology 2022, 10 (1): 43-51
Published: 01 April 2022
Downloads:142
Objective:

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has promising outcomes in treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Several regions, including the subcallosal cingulate gyrus (SCG), nucleus accumbens, ventral capsule/ ventral striatum, and lateral habenula (LHb), can be targeted for TRD treatment. However, which target provides the best results remains controversial.

Methods:

We evaluated the antidepressant and antianxiety effects of DBS of the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and LHb in stressed rats using the forced swimming test (FST) and open field test (OFT).

Results:

Bilateral high-frequency DBS of the vmPFC and LHb induced a significant decrease of the immobility time compared with that of controls (p < 0.05) in the FST. In the OFT, rats receiving vmPFC and LHb DBS showed no difference in the number of entries and time spent in the center area compared with those of control rats. However, vmPFC DBS provoked a significant decrease of these parameters compared with those of rats receiving LHb DBS (p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

These results suggested that vmPFC and LHb DBS had similar antidepressant effects, whereas LHb DBS was more effective in reducing anxiety-like behaviors. The results provide a reference for high-frequency DSB of SCG and LHb in TRD.

Open Access Case Report Issue
Vagal nerve stimulation is effective in pre-school children with intractable epilepsy: A report of two cases
Journal of Neurorestoratology 2020, 8 (3): 149-159
Published: 17 September 2020
Downloads:22

There is lack of prospective evidence regarding vagal nerve stimulator (VNS) in younger children with intractable epilepsy. Here, we report the outcomes of using VNS in two pre-school patients for pediatric intractable epilepsy (VNS-PIE) study. Medical treatment was ineffective in both the patients, and they underwent VNS implantation. Seizure frequency, score on the Gesell scale, and heart rate variability (HRV) were assessed following VNS therapy. After 6 months VNS treatment, the seizure frequency in the two patients decreased by 50% from that at baseline, based on the records in their epileptic diary. Video electroencephalography (EEG) examinations showed that abnormal fast waves diminished in the background in Patient 1, and captured seizure frequency in Patient 2 remarkably decreased. The adaptability, language, and individual and social interaction on their Gesell scales increased slightly, suggesting that VNS had a positive effect on the development of these two children. Moreover, the changes in the different HRV indices indicated improved cardiac autonomic function. In conclusion, these two cases indicated that VNS may not only be a superior therapy for pre-school children with intractable epilepsy, but also may exert a positive effect on their mental development and cardiac autonomic function.

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