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EEG Activation with Dimefline Hydrochloride *
Author(s) -
KAZAMATSURI Hajime
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1819.1969.tb01438.x
Subject(s) - electroencephalography , spike and wave , anesthesia , hydrochloride , provocation test , epilepsy , medicine , chemistry , psychiatry , pathology , alternative medicine , organic chemistry
Summary1) Dimefline hydrochloride (3‐methyl‐7 ‐ methoxy‐8‐dimethylaminomethylflavone hydrochloride) was administered intravenously to forty‐seven patients to examine its EEG activating effect. The patients were twenty‐two epileptics and twenty‐five non‐epileptics which had normal resting EEG before activation. Dimefline was injected at the rate of 0.02 mg/kg per minute with 0.04% aqueous solution up to 8 mg. 2) In thirteen out of twenty‐two epileptic patients (59%) the provocation of paroxysmal discharges, including spikes, were obtained within 8 mg. Clinical seizures were elicited in five patients almost immediately after the appearance of paroxysms in EEG. In twenty‐five non‐epileptic patients, five cases (20%) showed paroxysmal discharges. The activated paroxysms were centrence‐phalic spike and wave complex in the most cases. The remarkable changes of background activities were never observed during activation. 3) The activating effect of Dimefline was compared with that of Metrazol in nine patients, and 8 mg of Dimefline was proved to have an EEG activating potency approximately identical to that of 400 mg of Metrazol. The side effects induced by intravenous administration of Dimefline were more rare and more slight than in cases of Metrazol. 4) From the results obtained, the author confirmed the EEG activating effect of Dimefline hydrochloride available for the exact EEG diagnosis of epileptic disorders. Its clinical application as an EEG activator, however, should be done with prudent precautions because of the narrow margin between the threshold of seizure discharges and that of clinical attacks.