Issue release date: 24.11.2025
2Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University, Scientific Industrial and Technological Application and Research Centre, Bolu, Türkiye
3Binali Yıldırım University, Mengucek Gazi Education and Research Hospital, Department of Neurology, Erzincan, Türkiye
4Sakarya University, Training and Research Hospital, Department of Neurology, Sakarya, Türkiye
5Ordu University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Ordu, Türkiye
6Ordu University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Ordu, Türkiye
7Hitit University, Medicine Student, Corum, Türkiye
8Harran University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Corum, Türkiye DOI : 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.46166-23.6 AIM: To investigate the therapeutic effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on calcium and glutamate excitotoxicity caused by ischemia?reperfusion (IR).
MATERIAL and METHODS: The IR model was generated by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. tDCS treatment was applied at 1 mA for 30 min daily at the 2nd, 24th, and 48th h of IR. The motor and cognitive functions and the concentrations of Ca2+, glutamate, and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) in the hippocampus tissues were evaluated.
RESULTS: Results showed a reduction in motor and cognitive functions in the IR group compared with that in the sham group, whereas these functions increased in the IR+tDCS group compared with those in the IR group. Ca2+, glutamate, and NMDAR concentrations were higher in the IR group than in the sham group but lower in the IR+tDCS group than in the IR group.
CONCLUSION: These results suggest that tDCS treatment improves motor and cognitive dysfunctions after IR and exerts therapeutic effects on learning and memory through the regulation of Ca2+ and glutamate excitotoxicity.
Keywords : Excitotoxicity, Glutamate, Ischemia?reperfusion, tDCS