Julieta Trejo / Psychology / Faculty Mentor: Yuan Bo Peng
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been utilized for several decades, particularly in major depressive and psychologically impaired patients. To test if ECT is effective in relieving pain, we utilize local field potential (LFP) to show the changes in power in four regions of the rat brain from intracranially implanted electrodes: anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), bilateral central amygdala (CeA), and the ventral tegmental area (VTA). The LFP was recorded in three separate formalin-induced nociceptive conditions: formalin-only (control), ECT post-formalin, and ECT pre-formalin. The multi-ECT shock consisted of three parameters of 50pulse/s, 0.7ms, 2s at 5mA, 20mA, and 50mA delivered three times, 10-15s apart. Power spectrum analysis revealed a mixed effect: ECT-induced inhibition, excitation, or no change. Additionally, formalin behavioral testing was conducted in a freely-moving rats. In the two conditions of formalin-ECT and ECT-formalin, under brief 2% isoflurane, 3% formalin was administered and the parameters of the three ECT stimulations were delivered at 50 pulses/s, 0.7ms, 50mA for 2-seconds, 10-15s apart. Results revealed a significant decrease in pain-score when ECT is administered, specifically between the 30-55min post-formalin mark, without a difference in the sequencing of formalin-ECT or ECT-formalin. Our LFP and behavioral results strikingly demonstrate the analgesic effect that ECT may evoke.
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