A Medical Research and Evaluation Facility (MREF) and Studies Supporting the Medical Chemical Defense Proaram on Task 89-09. A Comparison between the Rhesus Monkey and the Human on the Effect of Atropine on the Electroencephalogram. Volume 1.

Abstract : In 1987 as part of MREF Task 87-32, a study was conducted to examine the effects of atropine on the brain activity of 15 rhesus monkeys. Each animal was administered three doses of atropine (High = 0.4 mg/kg, Medium = 0.2 mg/kg, and Low = 0.1 mg/kg) and the electroencephalogram (EEG) of each animal was monitored at each dose of atropine. The experimentation employed a crossover design for the order of dosing of each- animal, and used a washout period of approximately one month between atropine doses. Approximately four months after the conclusion of the atropine dosing experiments, brain wave activities of each animal were monitored following the administration of a saline solution. In August 1992, a preliminary investigation of data from three monkeys demonstrated a statistically significant difference in EEG activity between the high atropine dose and saline control experiments. Following the completion of the preliminary study, a more thorough analysis was conducted to investigate the dose-response relationship between atropine and EEG waveforms.