Evaluation of The Effect of Applying Anodal tDCS in The LPFC and RPFC Regions and 10x10, 25x25 and 50x50 Protocols on The Acquisition of Fear Extinction Memory and The Time Latency of The Activation of Fear Memory: An Animal Study of PTSD

Abstract

tDCS method is considered as the first clinical method for the treatment and control of many mental disorders, including PTSD. In treatment of PTSD, the first step is to use a psychotherapy method called PE, which is based on creating fear extinction memory. In this research, we investigated the effect of tDCS method with TD=18, LPFC and RPFC areas and 10x10, 25x25 and 50x50 protocols on the acquisition of fear extinction memory and the time latency the fear memory activation. 90 NMRI male mice were used in the age range of 9-11 weeks. The mice were divided into three groups A, B and C. Each group was classified into three subgroups: Control, LPFC and RPFC. Results: except for group A, in groups B and C, there is a significant difference between LPFC and RPFC subgroups and the control subgroup It was also shown that a change in the protocol for formation fear extinction memory can cause a significant change in the ability to acquisition fear acquisition memory. Also, these results showed that tDCS stimulation of the LPFC and RPFC regions can cause opposite and significant changes in the time delay of fear memory activation. Conclusion: training protocols with more repetition and anodal tDCS in the LPFC can strengthen the formation of fear extinction memory and increase the time latency in the activation of the fear memory in the test or retrieval phase, and anodal tDCS in the RPFC and the use of training protocols with less repetition can produce the opposite results. Due to the importance of the obtained results, please refer to the suggestions section of the article.