Deep Brain Stimulation Rescues Memory and Synaptic Activity in a Rat Model of Global Ischemia

Ischemic stroke is responsible for a large number of neurological deficits including memory impairment. Deep brain stimulation (DBS), a well established therapeutic modality for the treatment of movement disorders, has recently shown potential beneficial effects on memory in animals and patients with Alzheimer's disease. Here, we test DBS for its ability to improve memory impairments by stimulating the entorhinal cortex (EC) in a rat model of global ischemia (GI). Two weeks after GI, adult male rats received high-frequency EC DBS for 1 h, and animals were assessed for changes in locomotor activity, learning, and memory 6 weeks later. GI produced spatial memory impairment that was ameliorated by DBS, with no difference between the group that received DBS for GI (GI-DBS ON group) and nonstroke control groups. Although GI led to a dramatic CA1 neuronal loss that could not be rescued with DBS, stimulation attenuated the reduction of CA1 synaptophysin expression after GI. Further, in vitro slice recordings showed a restoration of typical evoked synaptic dendritic fields in GI-DBS ON animals, indicating that the DBS-induced memory rescue is associated with increased synaptophysin expression and enhanced synaptic function. These results suggest that DBS may ameliorate the functional consequences of cerebral ischemia and point to be a potential new therapeutic approach.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is remarkably effective in treating Parkinson's disease and is currently under investigation for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders including Alzheimer's disease. Until now, DBS has not been examined for its cognitive benefits in the context of hypoxic-ischemic injuries. Here, we investigated the effect of DBS in a rat model of global ischemia (GI) that mimics the neurological consequences occurring after a cardiac arrest. We show that DBS rescues memory deficits induced by GI and produces changes in synaptic activity in the hippocampus. Novel approaches to improve neurological outcomes after stroke are urgently needed; therefore, the present study highlights a possible role for DBS in the treatment of cognitive impairment associated with ischemia.