Effects of cholinergic drugs on neocortical EEG and flash-visual evoked potentials in the mouse.

The effects of single intraperitoneal injection of two cholinesterase inhibitors, physostigmine (PHY; 0.01, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 mg/kg) and heptylphysostigmine (HEP; 0.5, 2, 6 mg/kg) on electroencephalographic (EEG) activity and flash visual evoked potentials (f-VEP) in the occipital cortex were compared in DBA/2 mice. EEG spectral analysis of awake periods showed that PHY at all doses and HEP at 2 mg/kg induced an increase of power in the 4.25- to 7-Hz frequency band. Furthermore, PHY at the higher doses and HEP at all doses induced a decrease of power in the 7.25- to 12-Hz frequency band, while the lower doses of PHY (0.01, 0.025 mg/kg) produced an increase of this band. EEG effects elicited by the two drugs were similar, when doses displaying analogous biochemical effects (acetylcholinesterase inhibition) were used (i.e. 0.01 and 0.025 mg/kg of PHY versus 0.5 and 2 mg/kg of HEP). PHY and HEP induced similar changes in f-VEPs. Amplitudes of early and late components (P1N1, N1P2, P4N4 and particularly N1P3) were enhanced, while amplitudes of middle components were depressed after all doses. The peak latency measures were generally delayed, even though, after the lower doses, a trend to a latency reduction was evident in late components. This finding might indicate a possible effect on stimulus speed diffusion by ‘low therapeutic’ doses, analogous to the ones used in men. Our data show that both drugs are effective in modifying EEG and f-VEP parameters connected with brain cholinergic function, although in a very narrow dose range.