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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Analysis of Gene Expression Changes in the Rat Hippocampus After Deep Brain Stimulation of the Anterior Thalamic Nucleus
Published on: March 8, 2015
Effects of centromedian thalamic deep brain stimulation on striatal glutamate and GABA in a rodent model of epilepsy
Rafi Matin1, Kristina K Zhang1, Flavia Venetucci Gouveia2
1Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, 27 King's College Cir, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, 170 Elizabeth St, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1E8, Canada.
Background:
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the centromedian nucleus of thalamus (CM) represents a promising treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy. The anti-seizure effects of CM-DBS have been linked to thalamostriatal projections, however, the neurochemical effects of stimulation on the striatum remain unexplored.
Objective:
This study aimed to characterize the acute neurochemical effects of CM-DBS on glutamate and GABA signaling within thalamostriatal circuits in healthy and epileptic mouse models.
Methods:
C57BL/6 J healthy controls (n = 18) and the Cntnap2KO mouse model of epilepsy (n = 18) underwent surgery for CM-DBS implants. Mice in the DBS-ON group received stimulation, while mice in the DBS-OFF group underwent surgery but did not receive stimulation. Immediately after stimulation experiments, the brains were recovered and tissue was dissected from regions within the thalamostriatal network (i.e. thalamus, caudate putamen) and nodes from a separate limbic network (i.e. amygdala, hippocampus, ventral pallidum). Finally, liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry was used to quantify glutamate and GABA concentrations in brain tissue samples. The effects of DBS on regional neurotransmitter levels and neurotransmitter networks were studied.
Results:
At baseline, the striatal Glutamate/GABA ratio was lower in Cntnap2KO mice compared to healthy controls. Following CM-DBS, glutamate levels increased within the striatum in both mouse strains. Furthermore, CM-DBS altered neurotransmitter relationships within striatal networks and selectively reduced GABA-GABA and glutamate-GABA correlations in C57BL/6 J mice.
Conclusion:
CM-DBS induced region- and strain-dependent changes in glutamate and GABA levels with effects on neurotransmitter network dynamics. These findings highlight potential neurochemical changes in thalamostriatal projections following CM-DBS.
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