TRANSIENT CHANGE IN ELECTROCORTICOGRAPHIC REACTION TO ECS IN RAT FOLLOWING FOOTSHOCK

Studied behavioral and electrocorticographic (ECoG) reactions to footshock (FS) and ECS under conditions comparable to those used in studies of retrograde amnesia (RA). The neural aftereffects of FS include immediate and delayed arousal reactions which are associated with alteration and abolition of the normal ECoG (seizure) response to ECS. The way in which an antecedent FS affects the epileptogenic efficacy of a subsequent ECS depends more upon the severity and duration of the arousal reaction than upon the time interval per se between FS and ECS. The observed variations in cortical seizure susceptibility are attributed to neural mechanisms responsible for electrocortical activation. Several implications for the interpretation of ECS-induced RA are discussed and an alternative to currently available theories is offered. (27 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1969 American Psychological Association.