STRYCHNINE SPIKE OF CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM OF LOWER ANIMAL (TOAD)

Abstract

Strychnine is a convulsant being useful in the analysis of the fiber connection in the central nervous system by the strychnine spike phenomenon discovered originally by Dusser de Barenne & Mc Culloch (strychnine neuronography). The strychnine spike is com monly employed as the probe for functional connections (1). And the strychnine spike in the cerebral cortex of cat or rabbit manifests the triphasic characteristic wave being initial positive, then strong negative and last positive phase, of which originating mechanism remains obscure in spite of its wide application in the experimental studies and of which form is usually unaltered. The purpose of the present paper is to find out the polarity of each deflection of strychnine spike which may have a relation to the activated portion. In an attempt to clarify this unknown correspondence between the wave form of ast rychnine spike and the position originating it the nervous system which is simpler in layer architecture or cytoarchitecture such as hemisphere or spinal cord of toad is used. And the nature of strychnine spike from them, described in later, will be able to give a sol ution for the analysis of that in higher structure as cat cortex.