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Spinal direct current stimulation modulates the activity of gracile nucleus and primary somatosensory cortex in anaesthetized rats
Author(s) -
Aguilar J.,
Pulecchi F.,
Dilena R.,
Oliviero A.,
Priori A.,
Foffani G.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.214189
Subject(s) - somatosensory system , neuroscience , stimulation , spinal cord , nucleus , neuromodulation , secondary somatosensory cortex , somatosensory evoked potential , anatomy , medicine , chemistry , psychology
Non‐Technical Summary Stimulation of the human brain with direct current is a simple but effective neuromodulation technique that is becoming increasingly popular due to its potentiality for non‐invasively treating a variety of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Recently, this neuromodulation technique has been extended to the stimulation of the human spinal cord. Here we investigated the mechanisms of action of spinal direct current stimulation (sDCS) in anaesthetized rats. We found that sDCS can selectively modulate the spontaneous activity entering the brain through the spinal cord via the somatosensory system, consequently modulating both the internal state of the brain and its responsiveness to external somatosensory stimuli. These findings have at least two levels of significance: from a physiological perspective, they remark on the importance of the spinal cord in regulating the state of the brain; from a clinical perspective, they offer a mechanistic rationale for the development of sDCS as an effective bottom‐up neuromodulation technique.