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TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION PROMOTES RECOVERY FROM POST-STROKE COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL DEFICITS
Chiara Feroletoand 10 co-authors
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
FENS Forum 2026 (2026)
Barcelona, Spain
Board PS02-07PM-585
Presentation
Date TBA
Board: PS02-07PM-585
Event Information
Poster Board
PS02-07PM-585
Poster
View posterAbstract
Post-stroke depression is frequently accompanied by cognitive and psychiatric symptoms, contributing to long-term disability and highlighting the need for therapeutic approaches promoting emotional and cognitive recovery.
Here, we investigated the effects of bihemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on post-stroke cognitive and emotional alterations in a mouse model of photothrombotic stroke targeting the primary motor cortex.
Mice received tDCS or sham stimulation for three consecutive days, starting three days after stroke. Emotional and cognitive alterations, which have not been previously characterized in this model, were assessed 28 days post-stroke. To explore tDCS mechanisms, synaptic plasticity, synaptic protein expression, and neuronal activation were analyzed in brain regions relevant to the assessed function.
Sham stimulated stroke mice exhibited anxiety, depressive behavior, and cognitive impairment, which were rescued by tDCS. Moreover, tDCS counteracted stroke-induced decrease in hippocampal long-term potentiation, normalized synaptic protein expression, and increased phosphorylation of AMPA receptor GluA1 subunits.
Analysis of c-Fos expression revealed increased neuronal activation in cortical layer II–III of the motor cortex following tDCS, with no changes in the somatosensory or prefrontal cortices. Layer V exhibited enhanced activation in both motor and prefrontal areas, while the somatosensory cortex remained unaffected. Hippocampal dentate gyrus and CA1 regions also showed increased neuronal activity, indicating recruitment of distributed neural networks beyond the stimulated cortical site.
In summary, bihemispheric tDCS counteracts post-stroke cognitive and emotional deficits and promotes widespread neuroplastic changes, supporting its potential to enhance functional recovery after stroke.
Supported by the Italian Ministry of Health, Ricerca Finalizzata, RF-2021-12373484, CUP:C53C22001570001
Here, we investigated the effects of bihemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on post-stroke cognitive and emotional alterations in a mouse model of photothrombotic stroke targeting the primary motor cortex.
Mice received tDCS or sham stimulation for three consecutive days, starting three days after stroke. Emotional and cognitive alterations, which have not been previously characterized in this model, were assessed 28 days post-stroke. To explore tDCS mechanisms, synaptic plasticity, synaptic protein expression, and neuronal activation were analyzed in brain regions relevant to the assessed function.
Sham stimulated stroke mice exhibited anxiety, depressive behavior, and cognitive impairment, which were rescued by tDCS. Moreover, tDCS counteracted stroke-induced decrease in hippocampal long-term potentiation, normalized synaptic protein expression, and increased phosphorylation of AMPA receptor GluA1 subunits.
Analysis of c-Fos expression revealed increased neuronal activation in cortical layer II–III of the motor cortex following tDCS, with no changes in the somatosensory or prefrontal cortices. Layer V exhibited enhanced activation in both motor and prefrontal areas, while the somatosensory cortex remained unaffected. Hippocampal dentate gyrus and CA1 regions also showed increased neuronal activity, indicating recruitment of distributed neural networks beyond the stimulated cortical site.
In summary, bihemispheric tDCS counteracts post-stroke cognitive and emotional deficits and promotes widespread neuroplastic changes, supporting its potential to enhance functional recovery after stroke.
Supported by the Italian Ministry of Health, Ricerca Finalizzata, RF-2021-12373484, CUP:C53C22001570001
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