Search

Exploratory eye movements in 20 schizophrenics, 18 patients with frontal lobe lesions (9 right-sided and 9 left-sided) and 20 normal controls were examined with an eye mark recorder while they viewed stationary S-shaped figures. The eye movements made during the subject's first 15-s viewing of an original figure were analyzed. Patients with right frontal lobe lesions (RF) and schizophrenics (S) had lower scores than normal controls (NC) for the number of eye fixations, total eye scanning length and mean eye scanning length. Each subject was then shown two other figures slightly different from the original and was requested to compare them with the original. After comparing them, the subject was asked the question, "Are there any other differences?" The eye movements made over the ensuing 5 s in response to this question were scored using the responsive search score (RSS). The RSS was low only in the S group. The subject was also asked to reproduce the original figure before and after making comparisons between the figures. The RF and S groups were poorer at reproduction than the NC group. These findings suggest that there is disordered function of the right frontal lobe in schizophrenia, and that schizophrenia is due not only to localized damage to one part of the brain but to more widespread damage.

In 1974, the Japanese EEG Society's Ad Hoc Committee on Brain Death published criteria for determining brain death only in cases of acute gross primary brain lesions. In 1983, a new brain death study group was organized to re-evaluate these criteria. During a 6-month period from March 1, 1984, 217 neurosurgical and neurological clinics and emergency services throughout Japan reported 718 brain deaths caused not only by primary lesions but also by secondary brain lesions and diagnosed as such on the basis of the 1974 criteria excluding the condition of "abrupt fall of blood pressure followed by persistent hypotension". The data derived from the 718 cases in this collaborative study were pooled and analyzed, and it became known that the 1974 criteria still are generally reliable. Some changes have been made, however, and new criteria for determination of brain death adopted.

The efficacy and safety of timiperone, a new butyrophenone derivative, in schizophrenia as compared with haloperidol were assessed in a multi-clinic double-blind controlled study in a total of 206 patients. The patients were given timiperone (1·0 mg/tablet) or haloperidol (1·5 mg/tablet) in a daily dose of 1–3 tablets for the first day, then up to a maximum of 12 tablets depending on symptoms for 12 weeks. Timiperone was found to be significantly superior to haloperidol in the final global improvement rating and in the general usefulness rating. In the over-all safety rating there were no statistically significant differences between the two drug treatments. With regard to analysis by stratification timiperone was superior to haloperidol in improving abnormal experiences such as hallucination and delusion as well as deficiency of initiative and blunted affect. From these results it is considered that timiperone could be superior to haloperidol in the treatment of schizophrenia.

Summary 1 In eight patients with petit mal EEGs (approximately thirty) were taken. During the seizure patterns various external stimuli were applied. In these cases clinical and electroencc-phalographic changes were observed simultaneously and relationships between the two were studied. 2 In petit mal attacks there are various degrees of alteration of consciousness grading from almost no loss of consciousness to complete lapse of consciousness. Between subclinical and clinical seizures there is a transition, and it is difficult to determine a definite border line between the two. 3 liven in a single petit mal seizure the degree of disturbance of consciousness is not constant but is altered in various ways spontaneously or following various stimuli. This can be confirmed by applying various stimuli during die seizure. 4 There are often no changes in the seizure waves in spite of changes of consciousness during a petit mal seizure. Even though various responses are elicited by stimuli the petit mal waves sometimes continue unchanged. Therefore even though petit mal waves usually do show the presence of disturbance of consciousness, they do not always indicate the degree of alteration of consciousness during the seizure.

Two types of the so-called hippocampal arousal waves were reported in relation to the dog's behaviors. The one, hippocampal rhythmic wave-S, occurred only after sleep pattern spontaneously or by stimuli, during the appearance of which the animal kept continuously a sleeping posture but showed a few localized twichings of eyelids, conchae, vibrissae, facial muscles etc. and frequently rapid movement potentials of eyeballs. The other, hippocampal rhythmic wave-A, was seen in a short train during wakefulness, accompanying some actions, i.e. head-turning, sniffing, searching on the floor etc. The characteristics and interrelationships of these waves were discussed.

On the study of the behaviors of neurons during the appearance of evoked potential or seizure discharge in the Ammon's horn produced by repetitive electrical stimulation, the following results are obtained:1. The unit discharges are roughly classified into three groups of 1) complete synchronous type, 2) incomplete synchronous type, and 3) indifferent type according to their synchronization with response-wave and seizure discharge, and in response-wave and seizure discharge alike, the percentages of the unit discharges in each type are approximate. Further, according to discharging frequency of unit spike, we get facilitation type, inhibition type, and indifferent type.2. On the second positive phase of the response-wave caused by repetitive electrical stimulation, there arise the gigantic spikes (G-spike) of 3-5msec. duration, and they appear as a negative-positive spikes at a shallow layer near the alveus, while as positive-negative biphasic ones near pyramidal cell layer. They arise spontaneously at the seizure discharge and show an extremely close relation with seizure.

1. 1. A series of changes in the EEG brought about by intravenous injection of sodium amytal were described. 2. 2. The characteristic fast waves caused by intravenous injection of sodium amytal were roughly classified into FA of about 15 c/sec. and of relatively large amplitude, and FB of relatively small amplitude, the frequency of which is around 25 c/sec. or over. 3. 3. When a stimulus is applied in a stage of anesthesia, especially during emergence from anesthesia, there appears a EEG pattern which would correspond to a more light stage of anesthesia. At that time the behavior shown by FA and FB seems to be analogous to the behavior of alpha and beta waves at the time of non-anesthetized case (awaking period and during natural sleep). 4. 4. In instances where slow waves are present before anesthesia, the slow waves appear in response to stimulation at the time when anesthetized normal subjects show alpha waves or FA. 5. 5. No fast waves can be elicited by administration of sodium amytal in certain stages of insulin hypoglycemia, immediately after electrically induced convulsions and in deep anesthesia etc., when the brain function is disturbed above a certain degree. As the functional stage of the brain recovers due to administration of glucose or spontaneously with the lapse of time, the fast waves which could not be seen before appear very clearly.

SUMMARY 1. (a) Metrazol or strychnine intracarotid injections, (b) strychnine topical application to the motor cortex, (c) metrazol injection into the motor cortex and (d) electrical stimulation of the motor cortex and of the diffuse thalamic projection system were used in sixty-five anesthetized cats. After observing the patterns of abnormal electrical activity, spasms and convulsions, the animals were decapitated at various stages. The distribution of the blood within the brain at the time of decapitation was examined with the benzidine method and the findings compared with the observations mentioned above. 2. Spikes and at times local spasms were seen before clear-cut circulatory disturbance of the brain appeared, in all methods of stimulation from (a) to (c). This shows that vasospasm of the brain does not necessarily precede the appearance of convulsions. 3. Clear circulatory disturbance may be seen when the spikes have spread to the deeper regions of the brain. Furthermore, even though the appearance of the spikes or muscle spasms is one-sided, the circulatory abnormality is often seen on both sides. This fact suggests the influence of the subcortical vasomotor center on the occurrence of wide-spread vasospasm. 4. When general convulsions occurred, definite circulatory abnormalities were seen in wide-spread regions of the brain in most of the cases studied. However, regardless of the occurrence of an almost generalized convulsion as far as the electrical activity and the behavior of the animal are concerned, there were a few cases which showed very little change in circulatory condition. This was especially noticeable when metrazol was injected in or electrical stimulus was applied to the motor cortex. 5. In animals decapitated during the appearance of 3 c/s spikes-and-waves or similar patterns waves after electrical stimulation of the diffuse thalamic projection system, clearly defined circulatory disturbances were not seen. RESUME 1. (a) Injections intracarotidiennes de metrazol ou de strychnine; (b) application locale de strychnine sur le cortex moteur, (c) injection de metrazol dans le cortex moteur et (d) excitation electrique du cortex moteur et des projections thalamiques diffuses chez soixante-cinq chats sous narcose. Apres observation des traces de l'activiteelectrique anormale, des spasmes et des convulsions, les animaux furent decapites a differents stades. La distribution du sang dans le cerveau au moment de la decapitation fut etudiee par la methode basee sur l'emploi de la benzidine et les constatations faites a cette occasion furent comparees avec les observations mentionnees ci-dessus. 2. Des pointes et parfois meme des spasmes ont ete observes avant que n'apparaissent des troubles circulatoires bien definis du cerveau avec les trois methodes d'excitation citees sous (a), (b) et (c). Ceci montre que le spasme vasculaire du cerveau ne precede pas necessairement l'apparition des convulsions. 3. Des perturbations circulatoires nettes peuvent etre observees lorsque les pointes se sont etendues aux regions plus profondes du cerveau. De plus, meme lorsque les pointes ou les spasmes musculaires ne se manifestent que d'un cote, la perturbation circulatoire est souvent bilaterale. Cette observation indique que le centre vasomoteur sous-cortical parait avoir une influence sur l'apparition des spasmes vasculaires etendus. 4. Dans les cas ou des convulsions generalisees se sont produites, des perturbations circulatoires nettes ont ete observees dans des regions etendues du cerveau pour la plupart des cas etudies. Toutefois, independamment de l'apparition d'une convulsion quasi generalisee en ce qui concerne l'activiteelectrique et le comportement de l'animal, il y eut quelques cas dans lesquels l'etat de la circulation ne fut affecte que dans une mesure tres reduite. Ce phenomene fut particulierement observe dans les cas ou l'on eut recours aux injections de metrazol ou aux excitations electriques du cortex moteur. 5. Chez les animaux decapites au moment de l'apparition de pointes-ondes de 3 c/s, apres une excitation electrique des projections thalamiques diffuses, aucune perturbation circulatoire nette n'a ete observee.