Effects of electrical stimulation or lesion in nucleus accumbens on the behaviour of rats in a T-maze after administration of 8-OH-DPAT or vehicle

• Published in: Behavioural brain research 2003-03, Vol.140 (1), p.165-173
• Main Authors: van Kuyck, Kris, Demeulemeester, Hilde, Feys, Hilde, De Weerdt, Willy, Dewil, Maarten, Tousseyn, Thomas, De Sutter, Paul, Gybels, Jan, Bogaerts, Kris, Dom, Rene, Nuttin, Bart
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin - pharmacology; 8-OH-DPAT; Alternation behaviour; Animals; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Disease Models, Animal; Electric Stimulation Therapy; Electrical stimulation; Electrolytic lesion; Male; Maze Learning - drug effects; Nucleus accumbens; Nucleus Accumbens - injuries; Nucleus Accumbens - pathology; Nucleus Accumbens - physiopathology; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - physiopathology; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - psychology; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - surgery; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - therapy; Obsessive–compulsive disorder; Pharmaceutical Vehicles - administration & dosage; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Serotonin Receptor Agonists - pharmacology; T-maze
• ISSN: 0166-4328; 1872-7549
• DOI: 10.1016/S0166-4328(02)00295-4

Electrical brain stimulation may be a therapeutic alternative for irreversible lesions in treatment-resistant patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). We compared the effects of electrical stimulation and lesion in the nucleus accumbens (n acc) on the behaviour of rats in a model for OCD. Rats were tested for spontaneous alternation behaviour (AB) in a T-maze and assigned to four groups: an electrode implant group with stimulation ‘ON’ (stimON) or ‘OFF’ (stimOFF), a lesion or a sham group. Postoperatively, the number of arm visits and AB were tested after 8-hydroxy-2-(di- n-propylamino)-tetralin hydrobromide (8-OH-DPAT; 2 mg/kg) or saline administration. After 8-OH-DPAT administration, more arm visits were counted in the stimON (92.2%) and lesion groups (79.3%) than in both control groups (stimOFF 54.2; sham 61.2%). AB was significantly decreased in the stimON (10.5%) and lesion groups (10.2%) relative to the sham (22.0%) but not to the stimOFF group (14.7%). After saline administration, rats performed more arm visits in the stimON (81.5% non-significant) and lesion groups (93.6% significant) relative to the stimOFF (70.8%) and the sham groups (74.5%). No significant differences, however, were observed for AB. In conclusion, both treatments resulted in a decreased AB after 8-OH-DPAT administration (modelling an increase in compulsions) and more arm visits.