Simulation and experimental study of DC electric field distribution characteristics of rat hippocampal slices in vitro.

Direct current (DC) electric field is a noninvasive neuromodulation tool that can inhibit or facilitate excitability of neurons. Despite its efficacy, the dielectric constant of artificial cerebrospinal fluid and the position and direction of brain slices and other factors can affect the field intensity and distribution acting on the surface of rat hippocampus slices, thus causing errors. In this study, we describe a new analytical method optimized for DC electric fields acting on brain slices, and the design of an external DC electric field stimulator to allow scientific evaluation of brain slices. We investigated parameters regarding the uniformity of electric field distribution and identified the maximal parameters using the finite element method. Then, we selected and simplified slice images using magnetic resonance imaging data and calculated the electric field intensity of the original and simplified models. The electric field simulator induced action potential and excitatory postsynaptic current with intensities of 1, 5, and 10 V/m. This study describes the development of a new electric field stimulator and successfully demonstrates its practicability for scientific evaluation of tissue slices.