Increase In Fast Activity Research Articles

Reference Data for Polysomnography-Measured and Subjective Sleep in Healthy Adults.

Reference data for sleep are needed for the interpretation of clinical sleep parameters. This analysis aimed to provide polysomnography-measured, spectral analytic and subjective reference data based on a sample of healthy adults. In addition, effects of age and sex were investigated. The sample was selected from the archival database of the Sleep Center at the University Medical Center Freiburg and consisted of 206 healthy adults aged 19 to 73 years. For an adaptation and a second examination night, polysomnography parameters, spectral analytic data, and subjective sleep estimations are presented. With increasing age, sleep became shorter (less total sleep time, more wake time after sleep onset) and lighter (eg, more percentage of stage N1 sleep, increase in fast activity in the beta range). Sleep in females was deeper than sleep in males (eg, higher percentage of stage N3 sleep). Females had higher overall power density than males. Altogether, it is apparent that sleep parameters exhibit high standard deviations, suggesting a high variability within healthy adults and complicating the specification of reference values. Our data suggest that the informative value of sleep reference data in healthy individuals is limited because of high interindividual and intraindividual variation within sleep variables. More research, preferably in the form of meta-analyses and/or large international databases, is needed to further investigate the relevance of such reference data for mental and physical health. In the absence of such knowledge, giving patients feedback about deviations from the norm in their sleep profile may give rise to ill-founded concerns and worry.

Intravenous procaine as a probe of limbic system activity in psychiatric patients and normal controls

Evidence from animal and human studies suggests that procaine hydrochloride may selectively activate limbic system structures and suppress neocortical structures. We administered a series of intravenous bolus doses of procaine hydrochloride to 31 subjects (7 with affective disorders, 17 with borderline personality disorder, and 7 healthy normal volunteers). Dose-related cognitive and sensory distortions and illusions were observed; affective experiences ranged widely from euphoric to dysphoric. Topographic electro-encephalogram (EEG) analysis indicated selective increases in fast activity (26–45 Hz) over the temporal lobes; the degree of increase in this activity correlated with degree of dysphoria experienced. Procaine was associated with increases in secretion of cortisol, adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), and prolactin, but not with growth hormone. These preliminary data are consistent with the possibility that procaine might serve as a clinically useful probe of psychosensory, affective, electrophysiological, and endocrine effects referable to the limbic system.

Circadian periodicity of brain activity and urinary excretion in the epileptic baboon.

A 24-H rhythm in the proclivity of the baboon Papio papio to exhibit a seizure response to intermittent light stimulation (ILS) has been uncovered. Seizure response to ILS was found to be greatest in the morning at about 0900 h, 2 h after lights on, and least severe in the evening at about 2000 h 1 h after lights off. Urine cortisol and potassium excretion rhythms followed the same pattern as seizure susceptibility and sodium rhythms were 3 or 4 delayed. Mean values for urine cortisol per 4 h ranged from 25 microgram/4 h at the maxima (0400 to 0800 h) to 2 microgram/4 h at the minima (2000 to 2400 h). Electrolyte rhythms ranged from 13 to 3 meq/4 h for potassium and 1 to 5 meq/4 h for sodium. Changes in electroencephalographic (EEG) activity also accompanied the change in urine cortisol and potassium, and seizure sensitivity, Changes in the EEG at the diurnal minima (2000 h) consisted of a decrease in slow waves concomitant with an increase in fast activity in the 18-25 Hz range,

Tandamine — a New Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor

Tandamine (AY-23,946)- a new norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor with practically no serotonin potentiation, MAO inhibition and anticholinergic activity-was administered in doses from 75 to 200 mg to a group of 20 hospitalized depressed patients. Weekly clinical evaluation including the ECDEU global score. Hamilton score and Zung self-rating score demonstrated a slight improvement which became statistically significant between the 1st and 2nd weeks of therapy. While the 'thymoleptic' properties of the drug were weak, a pronouned 'activating/stimulatory' effect of the drug was noted. Psychometric tests showed an increase in attention, concentration and psychomotor activity as well as an improvement in FPI personality dimensions 'depression' and 'inhibition', while the Taylor anxiety score did not reveal any changes. Digital computer period analysis of the EEG demonstrated, 6 h after oral administration of 50 mg tandamine, a decrease of slow waves, a significant increase of fast activity as well as a significant attenuation of the amplitude variability. Such changes are reminiscent of the pharmaco-EEG profile of psychostimulatory drugs and may represent the neurophysiological correlate for the activating/stimulatory properties of tandamine. Our finding suggest that the well-tolerated drug may be of some benefit for retarded depressions.

Anterior hypothalamic electrical stimulation and hippocampal EEG in the rat: suppressed EEG, locomotion, self-stimulation and inhibition of shock avoidance

Freely moving rats were given electrical stimulation via electrodes implanted in the forebrain and brainstem while concurrent hippocampal EEG and behavior were recorded. Stimulation of the preoptic-anterior hypothalamus and lateral hypothalamus produced desynchronization of slow hippocampal EEG, but either increased or left fast hippocampal EEG (30–50 Hz) unchanged. Increases in stimulation voltage produced intensity-related decreases in hippocampal EEG amplitude, increases in distance animals ran, and in self-stimulation tests increases in bar press rates. Stimulation in the medial hypothalamus (dorsomedial and posterior hypothalamic nucleus) produced hippocampal rhythmical slow activity, no change in fast activity, stimulus-bound running, and supported self-stimulation. On a jump-avoidance task, anterior and lateral hypothalamic stimulation disrupted performance while medial hypothalamic stimulation did not. Stimulation of two sites in the medial septum and seven in the dentate gyrus inhibited ongoing movement and depressed amplitude of both slow and fast activity. Medial septal stimulation which did not depress fast activity but depressed slow activity did not inhibit movement. Administration of low doses of sodium pentobarbital produced pronounced increases in fast activity during stimulation of the preoptic and lateral hypothalamus, but fast activity was unchanged with stimulation of the medial posterior hypothalamus and dentate gyrus in comparison to control values. The results suggest movement inhibition may be related to depression of both slow and fast activity, that rewarding properties of stimulation are not necessarily related to either slow or fast hippocampal EEG changes and that stimulation which produces either RSA or desynchronization can differentially affect performance on a motor task.

Effects of diazepam on the EEG in man

Single doses of diazepam resulted in significant decreases in theta and alpha activity and a significant increase in fast activity in the eyes-open state. Sleep patterns tended to appear soon after eye closure. Diazepam did not differ significantly from placebo in its subjective effects or in effect on the visual reaction time.

Digital computer analyzed sleep and resting EEG during haloperidol treatment.

The authors studied the effects of haloperidol on resting and all-night sleep EEGs of chronic schizophrenic patients. There was a decrease in slow waves and an increase in fast activity during resting and sleep EEGs as well as a decrease in the time spent in deep sleep stages during sleep. The findings support the hypothesis that compounds that are most effective with chronic schizophrenic patients have both central inhibitory and stimulating components.

Electroencephalogram during dreams

1. Dreams were found to occur during any electrographic phase of sleep. 2. At the time corresponding approximately to that of dreaming, a brief decrease in amplitude occurs concurrently in all leads, with some increase in fast activity. However, in some instances the trace during dreaming is essentially indistinguishable from that of the preceding minutes. 3. The EEG and electrosubcorticogram during dreaming may be very similar in appearance. 4. Emotionally tinged dreams arise more frequently against a background of alpharhythm and/or fast activity, while emotionally indifferent dreams arise more frequently against a background of slow activity. 5. Eye movements are a frequent but not an invariable accompaniment of dreams. Emotionally tinged dreams mainly occur without eye movements.

Electroencephalographic observations on patients undergoing cortisone and ACTH therapy.

THE influence of adrenocorticotropin and of cortisone on the brainwave pattern has been casually considered in many studies which have dealt with the clinical aspects and influence of these substances on various diseases for which they have been tried. In 1947 Grenell and McCrawley (1) reported an “increase in amplitude and some change in frequency of brain waves” after administration of adrenocortical extract to experimental animals and humans. Boland and Headley (2) elicited an increase in alpha frequency following cortisone administration. In 1949 Thorn (3) reported a decrease of slow activity and an increase of fast activity along with the general improvement of the electroencephalogram patterns when compound E was given to patients with Addison's disease. There are, however, very few detailed reports with serial electroencephalograms which deal with the effects of these hormones on the brainwave patterns, and the workers on the subject have come to different conclusions.

Electroencephalogram during a cycle of addiction to keto-bemidone hydrochloride

1. 1. The effects on the electroencephalogram of single and repeated doses of the potent synthetic analgesic agent, keto-bemidone, were studied in 5 men. 2. 2. Single doses of 20.0 to 30.0 mgm. of the drug produced no effect on the electroencephalograms except for a drop in mean alpha frequency, which occurred in 4 out of 10 records. 3. 3. During an addiction period of about 60 days, during which a dose level of 290.0 to 450.0 mgm. was maintained, more or less continuous slow activity appeared in the records of all subjects, and in 3 there was a concomitant increase in fast activity at the expense of the middle range. Clinically, the subjects were sedated and somnolescent, but the clinical effects could not be correlated quantitatively with the severity of the changes in the electroencephalograms. In 2 subjects with abnormal control electroencephalograms, paroxysmal high voltage slow, and spike and dome activity appeared early during addiction, but were not noted again later in the addiction period. No clinical seizures were observed. 4. 4. During the height of the abstinence syndrome after abrupt withdrawal of keto-bemidone, slow activity reappeared in the electroencephalogram. In the subjects who exhibited paroxysmal activity during addiction, paroxysmal high voltage slow and also bursts of high voltage 18 cycles per sec. activity appeared in the electroencephalograms during the withdrawal period, without overt seizures. 5. 5. The relation of these findings to the physiological basis of the abstinence syndrome is discussed. 6. 6. The particular danger of the continued use of this drug by persons with subclinical or overt epilepsy is stressed.

Electroencephalography during pneumoencephalography

There would appear to be no specific changes in the electroencephalogram during or following the pneumoencephalographic procedure. There was an increase in fast activity which was associated with subjective complaints of pain and which disappeared at the end of four hours although the subjective complaints had diminished only moderately. There was no evidence of increased abnormality nor was there masking of previous abnormalities. There would seem to be no indication for delay in doing electroencephalography after pneumoencephalography.