MURAL - Maynooth University Research Archive Library



    Persistence of neural function in animals submitted to seizure-suppressing scale-free nonperiodic electrical stimulation applied to the amygdala


    Réboli, Larissa Altoé, Maciel, Renato Marciano, de Oliveira, Jasiara Carla, Moraes, Márcio Flávio Dutra, Tilelli, Cristiane Queixa and Cota, Vinícius Rosa (2022) Persistence of neural function in animals submitted to seizure-suppressing scale-free nonperiodic electrical stimulation applied to the amygdala. Behavioural Brain Research, 426. p. 113843. ISSN 0166-4328

    Abstract

    Based on the rationale that neural hypersynchronization underlies epileptic phenomena, nonperiodic stimulation (NPS) was designed and successfully tested as an electrical stimulus with robust anticonvulsant action. Considering the scale-free temporal structure of NPS mimics natural-like activity, here we hypothesized its application to the amygdala would induce minor to none impairment of neural function in treated animals. Wistar rats underwent gold-standard behavioral tests such as open field (OF), elevated plus-maze (EPM), novel object recognition, and social interaction test in order to evaluate the functions of base-level anxiety, motor function, episodic memory, and sociability. We also performed daily (8 days, 6 h per day) electrophysiological recordings (local field potential/LFP and electromyography) to assess global forebrain dynamics and the sleep-wake cycle architecture and integrity. All animals displayed an increased proportion of time exploring new objects, spent more time in the closed arms of the EPM and in the periphery of the OF arena, with similar numbers of crossing between quadrants and no significant changes of social behaviors. In the sleep-wake cycle electrophysiology experiments, we found no differences regarding duration and proportion of sleep stages and the number of transitions between stages. Finally, the power spectrum of LFP recordings and neurodynamics were also unaltered. We concluded that NPS did not impair neural functions evaluated and thus, it may be safe for clinical studies. Additionally, results corroborate the notion that NPS may exert an on-demand only desynchronization effect by efficiently competing with epileptiform activity for the physiological and healthy recruitment of neural circuitry. Considering the very dynamical nature of circuit activation and functional activity underlying neural function in general (including cognition, processing of emotion, memory acquisition, and sensorimotor integration) and its corruption leading to disorder, such mechanism of action may have important implications in the investigation of neuropsychological phenomena and also in the development of rehabilitation neurotechnology.
    Item Type: Article
    Keywords: cannabinoid system; deep brain electrical stimulation; epilepsy; network decoupling; neural synchrony oscillations; pharmacological treatment;
    Academic Unit: Faculty of Science and Engineering > Electronic Engineering
    Faculty of Science and Engineering > Research Institutes > Hamilton Institute
    Item ID: 21054
    Identification Number: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113843
    Depositing User: Vinicius Cota
    Date Deposited: 08 Jan 2026 15:41
    Journal or Publication Title: Behavioural Brain Research
    Publisher: Elsevier
    Refereed: Yes
    Related URLs:
    Use Licence: This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

    Downloads

    Downloads per month over past year

    Origin of downloads

    Altmetric Badge

    Repository Staff Only (login required)

    Item control page
    Item control page