Electroencephalographic analyses of amphetamine and its methoxy derivatives with reference to their sites of EEG alerting in the rabbit brain.

Abstract

Summary EEG analyses of amphetamine and its psychotomimetic methodoxy derivatives have been made in order to find their sites for evoking EEG alerting in rabbit brain. Four groups of animals were studied: controls with intact brain and others with transections of the brain at one of three different levels: above the midbrain, below the midbrain and through the first cervical segment. Both d -amphetamine and methamphetamine induced EEG alerting at the midbrain level. In contrast, relatively potent psychotomimetic congeners paramethoxyamphetamine, 2,4,5-trimethoxyamphetamine and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine provoked EEG alerting caudal to the midbrain and cephalad to the first cervical segment at the medullary level. A weak psychotomimetic congener 3,4-dimethoxyamphetamine possessed both sites, midbrain and medullary regions, for evoking EEG alerting.