Transcranial magnetic stimulation effects on one-trial learning and response to anxiogenic stimuli in adult male rats.

Abstract

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a relatively new technique for inducing small, localized, and reversible changes in living brain tissue and has been suggested to have antidepressant properties in humans and animal models of depression. Memory function generally has been found to be unaffected by TMS, although some studies have raised the possibility of memory interference from TMS. Additionally, there have been indirect indications that TMS may possess anxiolytic features. This study examines the effects of TMS in animal models of one-trial learning and anxiety. In this study, short-term treatment with TMS compared with identically handled animals not given TMS in adult rats resulted in no significant differences in memory as assessed both by a one-time learning paradigm and by components of an elevated-plus maze task, that TMS does not impair memory as assessed by these tasks. In addition, no changes were found in anxiety-like behavior on the elevated plus maze task. In summary, these findings support previous reports that TMS does not interfere with memory function. There was no evidence of an anxiolytic response from TMS in rats as assessed by the elevated plus maze test.