Therapeutic effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation in a rat model of ADHD
Da Hee Jung,
Sung Min Ahn,
Malk Eun Pak,
Hong Ju Lee,
Young Jin Jung,
Ki Bong Kim,
Yong-Il Shin,
Hwa Kyoung Shin,
Byung Tae Choi
Affiliations
Da Hee Jung
Department of Korean Medical Science, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea; Graduate Training Program of Korean Medicine for Healthy Aging, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea
Sung Min Ahn
Korean Medical Science Research Center for Healthy Aging, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea
Malk Eun Pak
Korean Medical Science Research Center for Healthy Aging, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea
Hong Ju Lee
Department of Korean Medical Science, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea; Graduate Training Program of Korean Medicine for Healthy Aging, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea
Young Jin Jung
Department of Radiological Science, Health Science Division, Dongseo University, Busan, Republic of Korea
Department of Korean Pediatrics, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea
Yong-Il Shin
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea
Hwa Kyoung Shin
Department of Korean Medical Science, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea; Graduate Training Program of Korean Medicine for Healthy Aging, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea; Korean Medical Science Research Center for Healthy Aging, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea
Department of Korean Medical Science, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea; Graduate Training Program of Korean Medicine for Healthy Aging, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea; Korean Medical Science Research Center for Healthy Aging, Pusan National University, Yangsan, Republic of Korea
Most therapeutic candidates for treating attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have focused on modulating the dopaminergic neurotransmission system with neurotrophic factors. Regulation of this system by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) could contribute to the recovery of cognitive symptoms observed in patients with ADHD. Here, male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were subjected to consecutive high-definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) (20 min, 50 μA, current density 63.7 A/m2, charge density 76.4 kC/m2) over the prefrontal cortex. This treatment alleviated cognitive deficits, with an increase in tyrosine hydroxylase and vesicular monoamine transporter two and significantly decreased plasma membrane reuptake transporter (DAT). HD-tDCS application increased the expression of several neurotrophic factors, particularly brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and activated hippocampal neurogenesis. Our results suggest that anodal HD-tDCS over the prefrontal cortex may ameliorate cognitive dysfunction via regulation of DAT and BDNF in the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic pathways, and therefore represents a potential adjuvant therapy for ADHD.
