[High frequency stimulations change the phase-locking relationship between neuronal firing and the rhythms of field...

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been successfully used to treat a variety of brain diseases in clinic. Recent investigations have suggested that high frequency stimulation (HFS) of electrical pulses used by DBS might change pathological rhythms in action potential firing of neurons, which may be one of the important mechanisms of DBS therapy. However, experimental data are required to confirm the hypothesis. In the present study, 1 min of 100 Hz HFS was applied to the Schaffer collaterals of hippocampal CA1 region in anaesthetized rats. The changes of the rhythmic firing of action potentials from pyramidal cells and interneurons were investigated in the downstream CA1 region. The results showed that obvious θ rhythms were present in the field potential of CA1 region of the anesthetized rats. The θ rhythms were especially pronounced in the stratum radiatum. In addition, there was a phase-locking relationship between neuronal spikes and the θ rhythms. However, HFS trains significantly decreased the phase-locking values between the spikes of pyramidal cells and the θ rhythms in stratum radiatum from 0.36 ± 0.12 to 0.06 ± 0.04 ( P < 0.001, paired t-test, N = 8). The phase-locking values of interneuron spikes were also decreased significantly from 0.27 ± 0.08 to 0.09 ± 0.05 ( P < 0.01, paired t-test, N = 8). Similar changes were obtained in the phase-locking values between neuronal spikes and the θ rhythms in the pyramidal layer. These results suggested that axonal HFS could eliminate the phase-locking relationship between action potentials of neurons and θ rhythms thereby changing the rhythmic firing of downstream neurons. HFS induced conduction block in the axons might be one of the underlying mechanisms. The finding is important for further understanding the mechanisms of DBS.