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Transcranial direct current stimulation produces long‐lasting attenuation of cocaine‐induced behavioral responses and gene regulation in corticostriatal circuits
Author(s) -
Pedron Solène,
Beverley Joel,
Haffen Emmanuel,
Andrieu Patrice,
Steiner Heinz,
Van Waes Vincent
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
addiction biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.445
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1369-1600
pISSN - 1355-6215
DOI - 10.1111/adb.12415
Subject(s) - transcranial direct current stimulation , conditioned place preference , neuroscience , addiction , stimulation , psychology , basal ganglia , brain stimulation , in situ hybridization , medicine , pharmacology , central nervous system , gene expression , chemistry , gene , biochemistry
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non‐invasive method to modulate cortical excitability. This technique is a promising emerging tool to treat several neuropathologies, including addiction. We have previously shown in mice that repeated tDCS normalizes pathological behaviors associated with chronic nicotine exposure. Here, we evaluated, in adult female mice, the impact of tDCS on cocaine‐induced behavior and gene regulation in corticostriatal circuits implicated in psychostimulant addiction. Anodal tDCS was applied transcranially over the frontal cortex. Three weeks after repeated tDCS, we investigated the induction of a gene expression marker ( Zif268 ) by cocaine (25 mg/kg) in 26 cortical and 23 striatal regions using in situ hybridization histochemistry. We also assessed place preference conditioning by cocaine (5, 10 and 25 mg/kg). tDCS pretreatment increased basal expression and attenuated cocaine (25 mg/kg)‐induced expression of Zif268 in specific corticostriatal circuits. Cocaine‐induced locomotor activation (25 mg/kg) and place preference conditioning (5 and 25 mg/kg) were also reduced. These results demonstrate that tDCS can attenuate molecular and behavioral responses to cocaine for several weeks. Together, our findings provide pre‐clinical evidence that such electrical brain stimulation may be useful to modify the psychostimulant addiction risk.