The effect of electroconvulsive treatment on thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia in a rat model of peripheral neuropathy

We tested the ability of electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) to block thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia in rats with peripheral neuropathy. Repeated ECT (six times daily) significantly reduced thermal hyperalgesia 48 h after the end of the final treatment but had no significant effects on mechanical allodynia. Single ECT had no significant effect on thermal hyperalgesia or mechanical allodynia. Neither single nor repeated ECT had any significant effect on the withdrawal response of sham-operated paws and untreated rats to thermal and mechanical stimuli. The anti-thermal hyperalgesic effect of repeated ECT was reversed by the previous administration of nifedipine (L-type Ca2+ channel blocker). We conclude that, due to effects on the voltage dependent calcium channel, ECT modified one of the pain behaviors induced by nerve injury. ECT may be of use in the treatment of human neuropathic pain. Implications: We showed that repeated electroconvulsive treatment reduced pain responses to heat stimulation after sciatic nerve injury in rats. This study implies a possible therapeutic effect of electroconvulsive treatment on neuropathic pain.