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Augmentative therapies do not potentiate the antidepressant-like effects of deep brain stimulation in rats
Bryce Laver1, Mustansir Diwan1, José N Nobrega1
1Behavioural Neurobiology Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College Street, Toronto, ON, Canada M5T 1R8.
Background:
Clinical trials have shown promising results with the use of subcallosal cingulate gyrus deep brain stimulation (DBS) for treatment-resistant depression. However, strategies to manage patients who do not respond to this therapy have not been explored in detail. In rats, DBS in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) induces a significant antidepressant-like response in the forced swim test (FST). We have used this test to investigate potential interactions between DBS and clinically used augmentative regimens.
Methods:
Rats undergoing the FST were treated with vmPFC DBS along with different augmentative drugs, namely buspirone, risperidone and pindolol. Locomotor activity was tested in an open field.
Results:
DBS induced a significant reduction in immobility scores as compared to saline treated controls. These antidepressant-like effects, however, were not potentiated by the co-administration of buspirone, risperidone or pindolol.
Limitations:
Despite having good predictive validity, animal models are limited from a translational perspective.
Conclusions:
Our results indicate that that the antidepressant-like effects of vmPFC DBS in the FST are not enhanced by augmentative therapies.
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