A novel free-moving rat model of transcranial direct current stimulation

Despite the popularity of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), we still do not know how this neuromodulation method exerts many of its effects. Animal models of tDCS are used to emulate human tDCS with the aim of investigating the technique's effects and obtaining mechanistic insights. The most frequently used animal in tDCS research is the rat [1]. An influential article from Vöröslakos described a novel method of true transcranial stimulation through the scalp in the anesthetized rat, using a pair of silicon single-pocket electrodes filled with conductive EEG gel [2].