Correlations among cortical potentials in the dog during the elaboration of motor alimentary conditioned reflexes

Background electrocortical activity in a frequency band of 1-100 Hz of dogs with electrodes implanted in different neocortical areas was studied before and after elaboration of motor (lever pressing) alimentary conditioned responses. Conditioning led to a significant change of the distribution histograms of cross-correlation coefficients (CC) between the cortical potentials, i. e. the dispersion of CC values decreased and the level of correlation changed as well. In more tranquil animals (with lower CC values before conditioning) the level of correlation significantly increased, in excitable ones (with higher CC values before conditioning) it decreased. CC distributions after the conditioned response elaboration became similar in both cases apparently indicating the formation of a uniform state characteristic for the type of a conditioned response under study.     

Changes in the brain spontaneous bioelectrical activity during transcranial electrical and electromagnetic stimulation

In order to study systemic brain reactions on transcranial electrical or electromagnetic medical stimulation and specify the neurophysiological criteria of its efficiency, comparative clinical and experimental examination was performed with the analysis of spontaneous bioelectric activity and behavioral or clinical parameters. We examined 6 patients with prolonged posttraumatic unconsciousness states treated with electrical stimulation and 17 intact Wistar rats subjected to electromagnetic stimulation of the brain. The effect of the transcranial stimulation was shown to depend on the initial level of the intercentral interactions of brain bioelectrical activity, estimated by the EEG coherence. Hypersynchronization of biopotentials as the main element of the brain reactivity can be the most useful for the rehabilitation of patients with cerebral pathology in cases of initially lowered level of the intercentral interactions in the absence of pathologically strengthened functional connections.     

Changes in the spatial organization of cortical electrical activity during increasing working memory load

Analysis of EEG coherence performed in 60 healthy adult subjects revealed some changes in the spatial organization of cortical electrical activity produced by complication of the context of cognitive performance (increasing the working memory load). Changes in the degree of coherence of cortical potentials within the local areas were observed already at the stage of the "operative readiness" immediately after the instruction, i.e., representation of the cognitive task sequence in the explicit working memory. The observed changes were different in the anterior (decrease in the degree of coherence) and posterior (increase in coherence) areas of the cortex. Context-related increase in the local coherence was more pronounced in the temporal, parietal, and occipital areas of the left hemisphere than in the right hemisphere.     

Effect of isatin on the electrical activity in the rat hippocampus cells

In vitro superfusion of rat hippocampal slices with isatin changed the population spikes. Isatin perfusion produced two clear effects. 50 microM isatin it increased the amplitude of the population spike in the CA1 evoked by stimulation of stratum radiatum. This effect was readily reversible. 100 microM isatin decreased the population spike amplitude with minimal effect on its latency. High initial response were more suppressed. This effect on the population spike amplitude was not eliminated even after 1 h of washing with saline. The data obtained suggest that isatin-induced electrophysiological changes are involved into the anticonvulsant effect of isatin.     

Dynamics of the summary electrical activity of the dorsal hippocampus during development of experimental informational behavioral pathology

Dynamics of dorsal hippocampal EEG changes were traced in cats during the short-term memory loads under conditions of the time deficit between the separate delayed reactions. Shortening the intervals between the tests from 3-5 min to 15-20 s led to an expressed ECoG desynchronization accompanied by an initial increase and later blockade of the hippocampal theta-rhythm. Hippocampal theta-activity changes under conditions of the time deficit was a result of emotional stress. The long emotional stress impaired the short-term image memory, and this was manifested in hippocampal theta-rhythm disappearance.     

Electrographic activity in rats during elaboration of fine distinctions]

A definite correlation has been found between the background EEG, the sensory afterdischarge (SAD) of the visual cortex and the nature of the animals' behaviour. Calmer rats with a well pronounced SAD exhibited activation of a certain type of hygienic movements, as fine differentiations were presented. As a rule, the movements were accompanied by EEG synchronization. At the same time positive conditioned reflexes persisted, in spite of an increased number of collisions. In restless animals, as the stress situation became stronger, forced movements appeared against the background of EEG desynchronization with a slightly pronounced SAD, alternating with numbness and stupor. Conditioned reflexes disappeared for several weeks. It has been assumed that relative retention of temporary connections in stress situations in animals with a well pronounced SAD is linked with the defensive-stabilizing nature of the inhibitory synchronized EEG rhythms.     

Functional interrelations between suprachiasmatic nuclei and the hippocampus during elaboration and recovery of time conditioning in rats

In hippocampectomised rats or in rats subjected to hippocampectomy combined with destruction of the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nuclei, time conditioning could not be elaborated. The lesion of the suprachiasmatic nucleus alone, however, accelerated elaboration of the conditioned reflex. In denucleated rats, the hippocampectomy did not affect the time of a previous conditioning recovery.     

Effect of corticosteroid hormones on electrical activity in rat hippocampus.

Pyramidal neurons in the rat CA1 hippocampal area contain both mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR) which bind the endogenous adrenal steroid corticosterone with differential affinity. With intracellular electrophysiological recording techniques we have investigated how corticosterone affects the membrane properties of these cells. We observed that low doses (1 nM) of corticosterone or aldosterone can, through MR, reduce the spike frequency accommodation and afterhyperpolarization (AHP) evoked by a short depolarizing current in pyramidal neurons. As the accommodation/AHP can be considered as an intrinsic mechanism of CA1 neurons to attenuate transmission of excitatory input, the MR-mediated action might potentially enhance cellular excitability in the CA1 area. Higher doses of corticosterone or selective glucocorticoids were able to reverse the MR-mediated effect on accommodation/AHP, eventually increasing particularly the amplitude of the AHP. GR-mediated events may thus potentially suppress excitability in the hippocampal CA1 area. Not only current- but also transmitter-induced membrane effects were affected by the steroids. Firstly, GR-ligands were able to suppress a temporary noradrenaline-evoked decrease in accommodation/AHP. Secondly, membrane hyperpolarizations induced by serotonin were reduced by MR-agonists. We propose that cellular excitability in the hippocampus is at least partly under control of coordinative, antagonistic MR- and GR-mediated effects on electrical activity.     

Changes of the dehydrogenase activity in the hippocampus in the korazol-induced kindling phenomenon

The activity of glutamate, succinate, malate and lactate dehydrogenases in neuronal and glial hippocampal cells during corazol kindling has been cytophotometrically assessed in the experiments on (CBA X C57BL/6)F1 mice. The kindling was induced by regular intraperitoneal corazol injections in subliminal dose of 30 mg/kg. Histochemical investigations were performed 30 min, 24 hours and 30 days after the corazol injections were discontinued. The changes in the enzymatic activity revealed suggest the biphasic nature of the disturbances in energy metabolism. During the first phase (24 hours after the last injection) the enzymatic changes do not have a noticeable influence on the predominant aerobic type of oxidation. In the second phase (30 days after the last injection) lactate dehydrogenase activity significantly increases, while the activity of other enzymes under study reduces.     

Neurochemical mechanisms of the inhibitory influence of the hippocampus on the conditioned food-getting reaction in rats]

A study was made of the influence of microinjections of dopamine, noradrenaline, serotonin and glutamic acid into the dorsal hippocampus on the food-procuring conditioned reaction of rats. All the examined drugs lengthen the latency of the conditioned alimentary reaction. However, the number of pushes of the door leading to the feeding through and the magnitude of the reflex are increased by catecholamines and glutamic acid, but reduced by serotonin. The dopamine effects are achieved through archicortex neurones receptors, sensitive to haloperidol, the noradrenaline effects, through alpha-adrenoreactive, and of serotonin, through M-serotoninsensitive structures of the hippocampal neuronal systems. The modulating influence of glutamic acid on the food-procuring conditioned reaction is not connected with the active on dopamine-, adreno or serotonin neuronal receptors of the rat dorsal hippocampus.