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Neuroscience JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

A General Method for Evaluating Deep Brain Stimulation Effects on Intravenous Methamphetamine Self-Administration

DOI: 10.3791/53266-v
What you'll learn
  • ✓ Set up and deliver intracranial electrical stimulation in animal models
  • ✓ Establish IV methamphetamine self-administration operant conditioning protocols
  • ✓ Evaluate deep brain stimulation effects on drug-seeking behavior
  • ✓ Analyze and interpret neurobiological treatment outcomes in addiction models
Protocol

This article describes the delivery of intracranial electrical stimulation that is temporally and spatially separate from the drug-use environment for the treatment of IV methamphetamine dependence.

Difficulty
advanced
Total time
~8-12 weeks (includes surgery recovery, catheter implantation, self-administration training, stimulation testing, and data collection phases)
Model organism
Rat (species not specified in abstract)
Biosafety
BSL-2

Steps

1
Establish intravenous methamphetamine self-administration

Train rats on operant conditioning task to self-administer IV methamphetamine through indwelling catheters. This creates the baseline addiction model before stimulation intervention.

▶ 01:13
2
Configure deep brain stimulation apparatus

Set up intracranial electrode placement, stimulation hardware, and programming parameters. Define stimulation frequency, intensity, duration, and timing separate from drug-use context.

▶ 03:40
3
Conduct deep brain stimulation experiment

Apply temporally and spatially distinct electrical stimulation while measuring operant methamphetamine self-administration behavior. Compare drug-seeking responses during stimulation versus control conditions.

▶ 05:43
4
Analyze stimulation effects on drug self-administration

Quantify changes in methamphetamine infusions, lever presses, and behavioral patterns resulting from deep brain stimulation treatment. Assess efficacy of stimulation in reducing operant drug-seeking.

▶ 07:16
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