title: Loss of high-frequency brain electrical response to thiopental administration in Alzheimer's-type dementia.
abstract: Abnormal brain regions generate proportionately less high-frequency (beta) activity than nonpathological regions, a phenomenon accentuated by barbiturate administration. Using quantitative electroencephalography we examined power in the 20- to 28-Hz band in patients with dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT), vascular dementia (VaD), and normal elderly controls (CON) following an IV bolus of thiopental (0.5 mg/kg). Compared to both CON and VaD subjects, DAT subjects showed a marked loss of beta power elicited across the cortex, with largest differences noted in the frontal region. Losses were most significant for the peak response recorded at 30 to 90 s postinjection and persisted during the 5-minute follow-up period. We hypothesize that differences in this electrocerebral response reflect differences in the underlying neuropathology of DAT and VaD subjects. A thiopental challenge may be well suited for the in vivo assessment of brain function in dementias characterized by prominent cortical pathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Holschneider
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Leuchter
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Uijtdehaage
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abrams
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rosenberg-Thompson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D013874:Thiopental / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D013874:Thiopental