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ACUTE EFFECTS OF ETHANOL ON PATTERN REVERSAL AND FLASH-EVOKED POTENTIALS IN RATS AND THE RELATIONSHIP TO BODY TEMPERATURE
Citation:
Boyes, W., B. Hetzler, AND R. Dyer. ACUTE EFFECTS OF ETHANOL ON PATTERN REVERSAL AND FLASH-EVOKED POTENTIALS IN RATS AND THE RELATIONSHIP TO BODY TEMPERATURE. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-93/101 (NTIS PB93175701).
Description:
The effects of acute ethanol treatment on flash and pattern reversal visual evoked potentials (FEPs and PREPs, respectively) were examined in three experiments using Long-Evans rats. The relationships of evoked potential parameters with blook ethanol concentration and body temperature were examined. Experiment 1 found that rats treated i.p with 2.0, but not 0.5 or 1.0 g ethanol/Kg body weight, and tested 30 min later, had prolonged latencies of PREP peaks, no changes in PREP peak-to-peak amplitudes, and latencies of PREP peaks, no changes in PREP peak-to-peak amplitudes, and lower body temperatures than controls receiving saline. The peak latency shifts were significantly correlated with both blood ethanol concentration and body temperature, and were of a magnitude to be expected from similar changes in body temperature alone. Experiment 2 measured both PREPs and paired-flash FEPs in rats 30 min after injection of either 0,0.5 or 2.0 g/kg ethanol. PREP changes were found following treatment with the high dose which were similar to those of Experiment 1. FEP peak latencies were prolonged and peak-to-peak amplitudes were reduced by both doses of ethanol, despite the fact that body temperatures were reduced at only the high dose. At 2.0 g/kg ethanol, the FEP changes in latency, but not amplitude, were in accordance with what would be expected from body temperature changes alone. The third study attempted to investigate the role of body temperature changes in producing the visual evoked potential changes by testing.