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SOME BIOCHEMICAL EACTORS THAT MODIFY THE TRANSCEPHALIC DC POTENTIAL
Author(s) -
Cowen Murray A.,
Ross John
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1967.tb02742.x
Subject(s) - histamine , barbiturate , serotonin , psychology , chemistry , anesthesia , cats , neuroscience , medicine , endocrinology , receptor , psychiatry
The transcephalic DC potential is that voltage recorded across the midline surface of the head between the frontal and occipital emissary vein distributions. Some psychophysiological correlates of this potential are described, and it is noted that little is known about the neuronal or biochemical modulation of it. Experiments are described using mature male cats, rabbits and rats as subjects. The frontal potential is found to shift progressively more positive as the depth of anesthesia increases. Pain causes a brief negative frontal shift and visceral irritation a positive one. Pinch mimics pain responses in etherized animals, but the DC shift is dampened in barbiturate anesthetized ones. Intracarotid injections of histamine and a histamine releaser produce a negative frontal shift. Heparin, serotonin, and nembutal produce positive frontal shifts. Epinephrine produces either a positive or negative shift, and potentiates the effects of histamine and serotonin. Histamine and serotonin combined produce a negative frontal shift. Many of these compounds are effective in 1 μ g or smaller doses. These findings, plus further analyses of the persistence, magnitude, latency, and dosage relatedness of the shifts are presented.