Acoustic signal patterns as reflected in the frequency following response of the cat auditory system

In the source of experiments on unanesthetized cats it was shown that all the essential qualities of acoustic stimuli are expressed in the frequency following response (FFR) peculiar to the lower regions of the auditory system (the inferior colliculus included). Amplitude and wave-form of response largely depend on the frequency and intensity of stimulation, frequency and phasic spectra bands for complex signals, together with their wave form and periodicity, acoustic masking of the "useful" signal, and finally interaural differences in stimulation modelling different spatial positions of the sound source.I. P. Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Leningrad. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 67–74, January–February, 1987.     

Normative EEG spectral characteristics in healthy subjects aged 7 to 89 years

The EEGs of 885 healthy subjects of both sexes aged 7 to 89 years were recorded in two modes: with the subjects’ eyes closed and with the eyes open. The subjects were divided into 20 age groups, for each of which the normative values of the EEG spectral characteristics were determined: the total EEG power spectra and the EEG independent component power spectra in the Δ, ϑ, α, and β frequency bands. Tables of confidence intervals with a level of confidence of 0.95 were constructed for each electrode channel in the case of the EEG power spectra and for each component in the case of the EEG independent component power spectra. The normative values obtained may provide EEG specialists with objective criteria for assessing cerebral dysfunction.     

Response of cat auditory cortex neurons to tonal stimulation during and after nembutal anesthesia

During acute experiments on 20 cats a comparative study was made of neuronal reaction to a tone, as recorded during the first few hours after administration of Nembutal and after an interval of 10–30 h. No spontaneous activity was seen in 89% of auditory cortex neurons of the anesthetized cats; these produced a sterotyped on- response to the optimal frequency tone. Late neuronal spike discharges at distinct intervals of 100–150 msec appeared in response to the setting up of acoustic stimulation after a brief latent reaction lasting 9–15 msec. It was shown that this stimulation did not produce an off-response in the cortical neurons. When the animals emerged from Nembutal anesthesia, the neurons reacted very differently to the optimal frequency tone. About 76% of the cells produced an on, on-off or off response, while about 21% responded with either tonic spike discharges or total inhibition of these throughout the acoustic stimulation. In unanesthetized cats the vast majority of AI cortical neurons were capable of reacting as long as the stimulus lasted. It is shown how this ability is lost under deep Nembutal anesthetic.A. A. Bogomolets Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Kiev. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 17, No. 6, pp. 728–737, November–December, 1985.     

Gamma Power Is Phase-Locked to Posterior Alpha Activity

Neuronal oscillations in various frequency bands have been reported in numerous studies in both humans and animals. While it is obvious that these oscillations play an important role in cognitive processing, it remains unclear how oscillations in various frequency bands interact. In this study we have investigated phase to power locking in MEG activity of healthy human subjects at rest with their eyes closed. To examine cross-frequency coupling, we have computed coherence between the time course of the power in a given frequency band and the signal itself within every channel. The time-course of the power was calculated using a sliding tapered time window followed by a Fourier transform. Our findings show that high-frequency gamma power (30–70 Hz) is phase-locked to alpha oscillations (8–13 Hz) in the ongoing MEG signals. The topography of the coupling was similar to the topography of the alpha power and was strongest over occipital areas. Interestingly, gamma activity per se was not evident in the power spectra and only became detectable when studied in relation to the alpha phase. Intracranial data from an epileptic subject confirmed these findings albeit there was slowing in both the alpha and gamma band. A tentative explanation for this phenomenon is that the visual system is inhibited during most of the alpha cycle whereas a burst of gamma activity at a specific alpha phase (e.g. at troughs) reflects a window of excitability.     

Evoked frequency stabilization in the electrical activity of the cat brain

In this study, our previous results on the important relation between EEG and EPs were extended by experiments with chronically implanted and freely moving cats, which had electrodes at the acoustical cortex, inferior colliculus and reticular formation. During the experiments the frequency stabilization upon sound stimulation was shown in the frequency domain by comparison of the pre-stimulus power spectra and post-stimulus amplitude frequency characteristics. Comparative frequency domain analysis of about 75 EEG-EPograms (sample of spontaneous activities just prior to stimulation and single evoked potentials following the stimulation), which were recorded from all the brain nuclei mentioned above and from each of the 11 cats, was performed as follows: 1) Power spectra of the EEG-records prior to stimulus were evaluated. 2) Instantaneous frequency characteristics of single EPs were obtained by the Fourier transform. 3) Distribution of the amplitude maxima of the EP-frequency characteristics and the distribution of the EEG-spectral peaks were compared by plotting two types of histograms containing relevant spectral peaks before and after the stimulation. In a frequency range between 1–1000 Hz, the frequency distribution of the EP records from RF and IC were accumulated in narrow discrete frequency channels, whereas, the distribution of the spectral peaks of the EEG depicted frequency spread in broad channels. The frequency stabilization of the EP records from GEA, in the alpha frequency range, was also observed. This effect was described by a factor which we called as the Frequency Stabilization Factor. The results presented in this study showed that the frequency stabilization of the brain's electrical activity induced by sensory stimulation displayed a fluctuation leading to frequency stabilization factors between 0.95 and 5.00. The frequency stabilization and relevant power enhancement upon stimulation strongly support our contention that evoked potential results from the frequency stabilization of the spontaneous activity, triggered by stimulation.Supported by Grant No. TAG-345 of the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey     

Test of statistical stability of the electroencephalogram

The stability of the EEG during eyes closed and eyes open were tested by the statistical method. The EEG records of 25 s were segmented into ten 2.5 s intervals for each state. The mean and variance and power spectra (2.5 to 17.5 Hz at resolution of 2.5 Hz) were calculated for each segment of 2.5 s interval. Thus, the sequences of mean values, variances and power at each frequency component were obtained for 25 s epoch. The stationarity of these sequences were tested by the run test and the trend test. The stationarity of mean, variance and power spectra were not rejected for 25 s records by any of two tests. In the records of 50 s, about 10–20% of records tested were rejected. The nonstationarity of the EEG appeared for 50 s records. This means that the EEG during period the eyes were closed, or opened can be regarded as stationary over time period as long as at least 25 s.     

Vibrational spectroscopy of seaweed galactans

Information from classical infrared spectroscopy studies has been of significance for characterizing seaweed galactans. The development of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and of Fourier transform laser Raman spectroscopy has produced great advances in the application of vibrational spectroscopy to the structural study of polysaccharides. Computational facilities in the spectrometers allow the arithmetic manipulations of the spectra. The second-derivative mode in the FT IR spectrocopy provided more information by increasing the number and resolution of the bands in the spectra as compared to the parent ones. A review of literature data on vibrational spectroscopy of sulfated polysaccharides and new results are presented. Agar-type polymers showed two diagnostic bands in the second-derivative mode in the region 800–700 cm^–1. Carrageenans exhibited a number of bands in the region 1600–1000 cm^–1. Fourier transform laser Raman spectroscopy in the solid state gave well-defined characteristic spectra of agar and carrageenans. Both techniques can be applied to small samples in the solid state and allow differentiation in a few minutes between agar and carrageenan-type seaweed galactans. The second-derivative mode of the FT IR spectra can be applied to distinguish agar-producing from carrageenan-producing seaweeds. The spectra on KBr pellets of dried, ground agarophyte and carrageenophyte seaweed samples showed the same bands as the corresponding polysaccharides.     

Visual pigment,dark adaptation and rhodopsin renewal in the eye of Pontoporeia affinis (Crustacea,Amphipoda)

The benthic amphipod Pontoporeia affinis lives in the Baltic sea and in northern European lakes in an environment where very little light is available for vision. The eyes, consisting of 40–50 ommatidia, are correspondingly modified. Microspectrophotometric recordings on isolated eyes show the presence of at least two kinds of screening pigments in the ommatidia with maxima at 540–580 nm and 460–500 nm. Difference spectra obtained from the rhabdoms after exposure to red and blue light, respectively, give evidence of a single rhodopsin with its maximum at 548 nm and a 500-nm metarhodopsin. In ERG recordings sensitivity in the dark-adapted state, after saturating exposures to blue and to red light, stabilizes at levels determined by the rhodopsin concentration. No change is observed during 10–14 h after the beginning of dark adaptation. However, using animals pre-exposed with a strong red light and then kept in darkness, it is found that after a delay of 20–40 h sensitivity of the dark-adapted eye begins to increase and finally, after 5–6 days reaches a level corresponding to 100% rhodopsin. Thus, a slow renewal of rhodopsin appears to occur in darkness, where a photoisomerization of metarhodopsin is excluded.Abbreviations ERG electroretinogram - IR infrared - MSP microspectrophotometry     

Secondary Rhythms of Cardiac Activity in Rat Ontogeny

Endogenous periodic oscillations of the heart beat rate are described in rat pups aged 3–4, 7–8, 10–11, 13–14, 21–22 days and 1.5 month after birth. These oscillations have all characteristic features established earlier for the secondary rhythms of endogenous contractile activity in the wall of various regions of the gastrointestinal tract and for bursts of spontaneous somatomotor excitation in the early postnatal ontogeny of rats: a multi-stage organization, inconstancy, irregularity of components. In frequency spectra of secondary oscillations of the heart rate obtained by means of fast Fourier transform of R–R intervals of the periodogram, age-related changes of the spectral frequency power are demonstrated in 4 ranges, 0.01–0.03, 0.03–0.1, 0.1–1.0, and 1.0–2.5 Hz, which correspond to the about-one-minute, decasecond, and about-one-second waves of the heart rhythm oscillations and to sinus arrhythmia. It is shown that the dominating frequencies of the secondary rhythms in each range do not have regular age-related changes, which is characteristic of all endogenous secondary rhythms.     

Early Effects of Neonatal Rat Desympathization on Secondary Heart Rhythms

Neonatal Wistar rats for the first 3 weeks of life were injected intraperitoneally with isobarine every other day. The single doze was 40 mg/kg. Control animals were injected with saline. Degenerative changes in sympathetic ganglia were evident as early as in the 10-day old animals and increased by 18–19 days. The heart rate in the desympathized animals was lower than in control from 10–11 to 18–19 days, but by the end of the 3rd week the differences were eliminated. The same occurred with respiration rate. At same terms there was an essential decrease of amplitude of the heart rate high-frequency fluctuations synchronous with respiration and of the periodogram slow waves with the period about 1 min. Using the method of fast Fourier transform, the power spectra of heart rate fluctuations (secondary heart rhythms) in 5 frequency ranges (0–0.01, 0.01–0.03, 0.03–0.1, 0.1–1.0, and 1.0–2.5 Hz) were calculated. Desympathization leads to a decrease of the fluctuation power in all ranges, but in the ultralow-frequency range this decrease is the least pronounced, which suggests the presence of non- sympathetic mechanisms in their genesis. The greatest changes occur in the middle-frequency area. In all cases, differences from control values increase from the 10–11th to the 18–19th days, after which a tendency for restoration is observed, in spite of an enhancement of processes of degeneration of sympathetic neurons. This indicates an activation of the compensatory mechanisms, due to which consequences of desympathization are partially smoothed at distant terms of studies.     

Botulinum neurotoxin type A: Structure and interaction with the micellar concentration of SDS determined by FT-IR spectroscopy

Secondary structures of botulinum neurotoxin type A have been determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in the amide I and amide III frequency regions. Using Fourier self-deconvolution, second derivatization, and curve-fit analysis, the amide I frequency contour was resolved into Gaussian bands at 1678, 1654, 1644, and 1634 cm^–1. In the amide III frequency region, several small bands were resolved between 1320 and 1225 cm^–1. Assignments of the bands in both amide I and amide III frequency regions to various types of secondary structures and the estimation of spectral band strengths by integrating areas under each band suggested that the neurotoxin contains 29% -helix, 45–49% -sheets and 22–26% random coils. These values agreed very well with those determined earlier from CD spectra. The neurotoxin was treated with a micellar concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate to simulate interaction between the protein and the amphipathic molecules. Sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles induced significant alterations both in the spectral band positions, and their strengths suggest refolding of the neurotoxin polypeptides. However, these changes were not entirely reversible, which could implicate the role of the altered structures in the function of the neurotoxin.     

Effect of ethanol on base activity of neurons of the lateral vestibular nucleus in the cat

Experiments with cats immobilized with arduane showed that a single intravenous injection of ethanol (1 g/kg) affects 95% of the neurons of the lateral vestibular nucleus. In 56.5% of the neurons that have predominantly high-frequency base activity of the continuously arrhythmic type, injecting ethanol decreased impulse frequency by 84–93%. In 14.5% of the cells, mainly with bundle-group type activity, there was first an increase in average discharge frequency, the duration of the bundles and number of impulses in them, were replaced by a sharp inhibition of base activity, even complete suppression, in 20–30 min after ethanol injection. In 23.6% of the neurons, predominantly with an initial low frequency of base activity, a clear excitation effect developed and was recorded over the whole period of observation. Restoration of base activity to the original level usually did not occur even after 90 min. Repeated injection of the same dose of ethanol had a cumulative effect.Ivano-Frank Medical Institute, Ukrainian Ministry of Public Health. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 24, No. 2, pp. 145–151, March–April, 1992.     

The effects of morphine on the relationship between fetal EEG, breathing and blood pressure signals using fast wavelet transform

In this study, we introduce the fast wavelet transform (WT) as a method for investigating the effects of morphine on the electroencephalogram (EEG), respiratory activity and blood pressure in fetal lambs. Morphine was infused intravenously at 25 mg/h. The EEG, respiratory activity and blood pressure signals were analyzed using WT. We performed wavelet decomposition for five sets of parameters D _2j where -1 < j 5. The five series WTs represent the detail signal bandwidths: 1, 16–32 Hz; 2, 8–16 Hz; 3, 4–8 Hz; 4, 2–4 Hz; 5, 1–2 Hz. Before injection of the high-dose morphine, power in the EEG was high in all six frequency bandwidths. The respiratory and blood pressure signals showed common frequency components with respect to time and were coincident with the low-voltage fast activity (LVFA) EEG signal. Respiratory activity was observed during only some of the LVFA periods, and was completely absent during high-voltage slow activity (HVSA) EEG. The respiratory signal showed dominant power in the fourth wavelet band, and less power in the third and fifth bands. The blood pressure signal was also characterized by dominant power in the fourth wavelet band. This power was significantly increased during periods of respiratory activity. There was a strong relationship between fetal EEG, blood pressure and breathing movements. However, the injection of high-dose morphine resulted in a disruption of the normal cyclic pattern between the two EEG states and a significant increase in power in the first wavelet band. In addition, the high-dose drug resulted in a significant increase in the power of respiratory signal in the fourth and fifth wavelet bands, while power was reduced in the third wavelet band. Breathing activity was also continuous after the drug. The high-dose morphine also caused a temporary power shift from the third wavelet band to the fourth wavelet band for the 30-min period after injection of drug. Finally, high-dose morphine completely destroyed the correlation between EEG, breathing and blood pressure signals.     

Synchronization of spontaneous activity of skeletal muscle,autonomic nerves,and brain structures in cats

Acute and chronic experiments with recording of electrical activity of skeletal muscle, autonomic nerves, and some brain formations were performed on cats. Spectral correlation analysis showed that the spatial synchronization of electrical activity for the autonomic nerves and brain formations within the frequency range of 25–35 Hz, revealed by previous investigations, extends also to skeletal muscle. It is postulated that the presence of a widespread rhythm of 25–35 Hz is a factor facilitating the transmission of influences in the nervous system through frequency potentiation of synaptic action.Institute of Physiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 146–151, March–April, 1976.     

Spectral Analysis of Event-Related Hemodynamic Responses in Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy

The goal of this paper is to design experiments that confirm the evidence of cognitive responses in functional near infrared spectroscopy and to establish relevant spectral subbands. Hemodynamic responses of brain during single-event trials in an odd-ball experiment are measured by functional near infrared spectroscopy method. The frequency axis is partitioned into subbands by clustering the time-frequency power spectrum profiles of the brain responses. The predominant subbands are observed to confine the 0–30 mHz, 30–60 mHz, and 60–330 mHz ranges. We identify the group of subbands that shows strong evidence of protocol-induced periodicity as well as the bands where good correlation with an assumed hemodynamic response models is found.     

Infra-red spectroscopic study for decalcification in the dentine

Summary A study was made of spectra of decalcified human dentine being treated with five decalcifying agents to investigate the differences of infrared spectra of decalcified dentine.Solutions of 20% 4-Na-EDTA, 5% HNO₃, 10% sulfosalicylic acid, 10% CCl₃COOH and 10% lithium lactate were used as decalcifying agents. Infrared absorption spectra between 1800 and 650 cm^–1 were obtained for the investigation of the absorption strength at 1033,1095; 1412–1414 to 1450–1455; 875–870; 1649 and 1550 cm^–1 before and after decalcification.The specimens following decalcification with EDTA and HNO₃ showed almost no influences to the absorption strength at 1649 and 1550 cm^–1 of amides. Such absorption spectra were relatively slight in CCl₃COOH and sulfosalicylic acid. The absorption strength at 1033 and 1095 cm^–1 bands of PO ₄ ^––– may indicate a standard of decalcification. Quick and complete decalcification of dentine was performed by HNO₃, CCl₃COOH and sulfosalicylic acid but slower and more incomplete decalcification resulted with EDTA and lithium lactate.     

Dynamic characteristics of motor responses evoked by stimulation of the motor cortex in unanesthetized cats

Temporal characteristics of motor responses evoked in unanesthetized cats by stimulation of the motor cortex through bipolar needle electrodes were investigated in chronic experiments. Isometric and isotonic contractions of the flexor muscles of the hip and knee joints of the limb contralateral to the point of stimulation were recorded. The latent period of response varied from 100 msec or more in the case of low-frequency (100–150 Hz) and low-threshold (1.1–1.2 thresholds) stimulation of the motor cortex to 30–35 msec in the case of "optimal" parameters of stimulation (300–400 Hz, 1.5–1.6 thresholds). If the intensity of stimulation was high enough the rising time constant of evoked contraction was 50–80 msec; values of the falling time constant of muscular contraction after cessation of stimulation were much greater, namely 150–300 msec. The rising time constant of contraction decreased with an increase in both the frequency and strength of motor cortical stimulation. The results are examined and discussed from the standpoint of methods of automatic control theory.A. A. Bogomolets Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Kiev. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 12, No. 5, pp. 451–458, September–October, 1980.     

Changes in sensitivity of muscle spindles of fast and slowly contracting muscles after chronic de-efferentation

Activity of muscle spindles of fast (m. EDL) and slowly contracting (m. sol.) muscles was studied in cats 2–5 weeks after extradural division of the ventral roots of the spinal cord at the level of segments L₅–S₂. Spontaneous activity of muscle spindles recorded against the background of a relaxed muscle was unchanged after de-efferentation; spontaneous activity, however, evoked by stretching the muscles with a load of 100 g, was increased as a result of denervation in both primary and secondary endings. During additional stretching of the muscles with different speed and amplitude the sensory endings of the muscle spindles under conditions of chronic de-efferentation generated responses with higher than normal frequency in both the dynamic and the static phases of stretching. In this case a greater increase in frequency was observed in the slow than in the fast muscle.I. M. Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Leningrad. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 204–209, March–April, 1981.     

Effect of repetitive stimulation of the locus coeruleus on spinal inhibition evoked in cats by activation of flexor reflex afferents

Repetitive stimulation of the locus coeruleus with a frequency of 40 Hz and strength of 50–150 µA in decerebellated cats anesthetized with chloralose was accompanied by a decrease in the inhibitory action of flexor reflex afferents (FRA) on the extensor monosynaptic reflex. This effect, which appeared after 600 msec, reached a maximum 1500–1700 msec after the beginning of repetitive stimulation. A minimum of 7–10 stimuli was needed to evoke the effect. After the end of stimulation the inhibitory action of FRA was not fully restored until after 2–3 sec. During application of a single stimulus or a short high-frequency series of stimuli of the same strength to the locus coeruleus no such effect was found. An increase in the strength of stimulation in that case was accompanied by activation of adjacent more rapidly conducting structures. The advantage of repetitive stimulation for detecting effects of slowly-conducting brain structures is discussed.A. A. Bogomolets Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Kiev. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 187–195, March–April, 1981.     

Electroencephalograms of patients with initial signs of depression: Independent component analysis

Independent component analysis (ICA) of 19-channel background EEG was performed in 111 patients with the early signs of depressive disorders and in 526 healthy subjects. The power spectra of the independent components were compared in the depressive patients and in healthy subjects at the eyes closed and eyes opened states. Statistically significant differences between the groups were detected in three frequency bands: θ (4–7.5 Hz), α (7.5–14 Hz), and β (14–20 Hz). Increased θ and α activities in parietal and occipital derivations of depressive patients may have been caused by a reduced cortical activity in the projection of these derivation. Diffuse enhancement of the β activity may be correlated with anxiety symptoms that are pronounced in the clinical picture of depressive disorders at early stages of the disease. ICA used to compare quantitative EEG parameters in different groups of patients and in healthy persons makes it possible to localize the differences more accurately than the traditional analysis of EEG spectra.