Division of Neurosurgery, University of Arizona, PO Box 245070, 1501 N Campbell Avenue, Room 4310, Tucson, AZ 85724-5070, USA.
J Psychiatr Res. 2010 Dec;44(16):1241-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2010.04.022. Epub 2010 May 26.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder triggered by a life-threatening event causing intense fear. Recently, functional neuroimaging studies have suggested that amygdala hyperactivity is responsible for the symptoms of PTSD. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) can functionally reduce the activity of a cerebral target by delivering an electrical signal through an electrode. We tested whether DBS of the amygdala could be used to treat PTSD symptoms. Rats traumatized by inescapable shocks, in the presence of an unfamiliar object, develop the tendency to bury the object when re-exposed to it several days later. This behavior mimics the symptoms of PTSD. 10 Sprague-Dawley rats underwent the placement of an electrode in the right basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLn). The rats were then subjected to a session of inescapable shocks while being exposed to a conspicuous object (a ball). Five rats received DBS treatment while the other 5 rats did not. After 7 days of treatment, the rats were re-exposed to the ball and the time spent burying it under the bedding was recorded. Rats treated with BLn DBS spent on average 13 times less time burying the ball than the sham control rats. The treated rats also spent 18 times more time exploring the ball than the sham control rats. In conclusion, the behavior of treated rats in this PTSD model was nearly normalized. We argue that these results have direct implications for patients suffering from treatment-resistant PTSD by offering a new therapeutic strategy.
创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）是一种由危及生命的事件引发的焦虑障碍，会导致强烈的恐惧。最近，功能神经影像学研究表明，杏仁核过度活跃是 PTSD 症状的原因。深部脑刺激（DBS）可以通过电极传递电信号，对大脑目标的活动进行功能性降低。我们测试了是否可以通过刺激杏仁核来治疗 PTSD 症状。在存在不熟悉物体的情况下，通过不可逃脱的电击使大鼠受到创伤，几天后重新暴露于该物体时，它们会发展出埋藏该物体的倾向。这种行为模拟了 PTSD 的症状。10 只 Sprague-Dawley 大鼠在右侧基底外侧杏仁核（BLn）中放置了一个电极。然后，在暴露于显眼物体（球）的同时，对大鼠进行不可逃脱的电击。5 只大鼠接受 DBS 治疗，而另外 5 只大鼠则不接受治疗。经过 7 天的治疗后，大鼠再次暴露于球，记录它们在床铺上埋藏球的时间。接受 BLn DBS 治疗的大鼠平均花费的埋藏球时间比假手术对照大鼠少 13 倍。与假手术对照大鼠相比，接受治疗的大鼠还多花了 18 倍的时间探索球。总之，在这个 PTSD 模型中，治疗组大鼠的行为几乎恢复正常。我们认为，这些结果为患有治疗抵抗性 PTSD 的患者提供了一种新的治疗策略，具有直接的临床意义。
