Vanneste Sven, Mohan Anusha, Yoo Hye Bin, Huang Yuefeng, Luckey Alison M, McLeod S Lauren, Tabet Michel N, Souza Rimenez R, McIntyre Christa K, Chapman Sandra, Robertson Ian H, To Wing Ting
Lab for Clinical and Integrative Neuroscience, School for Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA.
Center for Brain Health, School for Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA.
Sci Adv. 2020 Nov 4;6(45). doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aax9538. Print 2020 Nov.
An ongoing debate surrounding transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the scalp is whether it modulates brain activity both directly and in a regionally constrained manner enough to positively affect symptoms in patients with neurological disorders. One alternative explanation is that direct current stimulation affects neural circuits mainly indirectly, i.e., via peripheral nerves. Here, we report that noninvasive direct current stimulation indirectly affects neural circuits via peripheral nerves. In a series of studies, we show that direct current stimulation can cause activation of the greater occipital nerve (ON-tDCS) and augments memory via the ascending fibers of the occipital nerve to the locus coeruleus, promoting noradrenaline release. This noradrenergic pathway plays a key role in driving hippocampal activity by modifying functional connectivity supporting the consolidation of a memory event.
围绕头皮经颅直流电刺激（tDCS）的一个持续争论是，它是否能以直接且区域受限的方式调节大脑活动，从而对神经疾病患者的症状产生积极影响。另一种解释是，直流电刺激主要通过外周神经间接影响神经回路。在此，我们报告非侵入性直流电刺激通过外周神经间接影响神经回路。在一系列研究中，我们表明直流电刺激可导致枕大神经激活（枕神经tDCS），并通过枕神经至蓝斑的上行纤维增强记忆，促进去甲肾上腺素释放。这条去甲肾上腺素能通路通过改变支持记忆事件巩固的功能连接，在驱动海马体活动中起关键作用。
