Matching stimulation paradigms resolve apparent differences between optogenetic and electrical VTA stimulation

Optogenetic stimulation has grown into a popular brain stimulation method in basic neuroscience while electrical stimulation predominates in clinical applications. In order to explain the effects of electrical stimulation on a cellular level and evaluate potential advantages of optogenetic therapies, comparisons between the two stimulation modalities are necessary. This comparison is hindered, however, by the difficulty of effectively matching the two fundamentally different modalities.
Source: BRAIN STIMULATION: Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation - Category: Neurology Authors: Source Type: research