Characterizing Effects of Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation on Methamphetamine-Induced Circling Behavior in Hemi-Parkinsonian Rats

The unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned rat model is frequently used to study the effects of subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of Parkinson´s disease. However, systematic knowledge of the effects of DBS parameters on behavior in this animal model is lacking. The goal of this study was to characterize the effects of DBS on methamphetamine-induced circling in the unilateral 6-OHDA lesioned rat. DBS parameters tested include stimulation amplitude, stimulation frequency, methamphetamine dose, stimulation polarity, and anatomical location of the electrode. When an appropriate stimulation amplitude and dose of methamphetamine were applied, high-frequency stimulation (>; 130 Hz), but not low frequency stimulation (<; 10 Hz), reversed the bias in ipsilateral circling without inhibiting movement. This characteristic frequency tuning profile was only generated when at least one electrode used during bipolar stimulation was located within the STN. No difference was found between bipolar stimulation and monopolar stimulation when the most effective electrode contact was selected, indicating that monopolar stimulation could be used in future experiments. Methamphetamine-induced circling is a simple, reliable, and sensitive behavioral test and holds potential for high-throughput study of the effects of STN DBS in unilaterally lesioned rats.