Burst activation of the cerebral cortex by flash stimuli during isoflurane anesthesia in rats.
BACKGROUND
The degree of suppression of sensory functions during general anesthesia is controversial. Here, the authors investigated whether discrete flash stimuli induced cortical field potential responses at an isoflurane concentration producing burst suppression and compared the spatiotemporal properties and frequency spectra of flash-induced burst responses with those occurring spontaneously.


METHODS
Rats were equipped with multiple epidural and intracortical electrodes to record cortical field potentials in the right hemisphere at several locations along the anterior-posterior axis. At isoflurane concentrations of 1.1, 1.4, and 1.8%, discrete light flashes were delivered to the left eye while cortical field potentials were continuously recorded.


RESULTS
Isoflurane at 1.4-1.8% produced burst suppression. Each flash produced a visual evoked potential in the primary visual cortex followed by secondary bursting activity in more anterior regions. The average latency and duration of these bursts were 220 and 810 ms, respectively. The spontaneous and flash-induced bursts were similar in frequency, duration, and spatial distribution. They had maximum power in the frontal (primary motor) cortex with a dominant frequency of 10 Hz.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that discrete flash stimuli activate the motor regions of the cerebral cortex during isoflurane anesthesia and that these activations are analogous with those that occur spontaneously during burst suppression. Electrocortical suppression of the cortex during anesthesia does not prevent its response to visual stimuli.
Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA. ahudetz@mcw.edu
Anthony G
AG
Hudetz
Olga A
OA
Imas
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000769:Anesthesia, Inhalation / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D007530:Isoflurane