Behavioural and physiological effects of electrical stimulation in the nucleus accumbens: a review

• Published in: Acta neurochirurgica. Supplement Vol. 97; no. Pt 2; p. 375
• Main Authors: van Kuyck, K, Gabriëls, L, Cosyns, P, Arckens, L, Sturm, V, Rasmussen, S, Nuttin, B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Austria 2007
• Subjects: Animals; Behavior, Animal - physiology; Behavior, Animal - radiation effects; Disease Models, Animal; Eating - physiology; Eating - radiation effects; Electric Stimulation - methods; Exploratory Behavior - physiology; Exploratory Behavior - radiation effects; Humans; Nucleus Accumbens - physiology; Nucleus Accumbens - radiation effects; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - therapy; Reward
• ISSN: 0065-1419
• DOI: 10.1007/978-3-211-33081-4_43

Electrical stimulation (ES) in the brain is becoming a new treatment option in patients with treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). A possible brain target might be the nucleus accumbens (NACC). This review aims to summarise the behavioural and physiological effects of ES in the NACC in humans and in animals and to discuss these findings with regard to neuroanatomical, electrophysiological and behavioural insights. The results clearly demonstrate that ES in the NACC has an effect on reward, activity, fight-or-flight, exploratory behaviour and food intake, with evidence for only moderate physiological effects. Seizures were rarely observed. Finally, the results of ES studies in patients with treatment-resistant OCD and in animal models for OCD are promising.