Pharmaco-electroencephalography (pharmaco-EEG) concerns the description and the quantitative analysis of the effects of substances on the central nervous system by means of neurophysiological and electrophysiological methods. There are on the market few companies that provide the biopharmaceutical industry with innovative drug discovery programs for assessing drug efficacy based on EEG measurements in animal models. In this project, we aimed at improving the standard experimental procedures of industry for preclinical pharmaco-EEG by developing in a new methodology based on intracerebral stimulations. In particular, this would allow to gain in sensitivity for the quantification of the action of drug compounds on early EEG markers of brain diseases. During this PoC, we have initiated a partnership with SynapCell SAS, and have implemented a new experimental setup in rodent to acquire EEG responses to intracerebral stimulations in freely moving animals. We have designed a new stimulation and recording protocol in an industrial context. Under several pharmacological challenges, we have been able to detect changes in brain responses, which indicates that the methodology is able to detect the effect of drug compounds. The PoC is thus successful. The next step for developing this approach is to obtain similar data in animal models of brain diseases, like epilepsy or Parkinson disease, before developing partnerships with drug developer companies and reaching socioeconomicl impact by improving drug discovery methodology.
