An Attempt to Interpret the Fatigue of the Somatosensory Cortical Evoked Potential During a Stimulus Train as a Possible Biomarker of Neurotoxic Exposure
András Papp, Tünde Vezér, and László Institoris
Department of Public Health, University of Szeged Faculty of Medicine
Corresponding author: András Papp
Department of Public Health
University of Szeged Faculty of Medicine
Dóm tér 10, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
Fax number: +36-62-545-120
E-mail adress: ppp@puhe.szote.u-szeged.hu
CEJOEM 2001, Vol.7. Nos.3-4.:276-281
Key words:
Organophosphate, alcohol, rat, cortical activity, biomarker
Abstract:
The ongoing exposure of human populations to a variety of neurotoxic substances points to the
need of search for methods capable of early detection of the harmful effects. Sensory evoked
potentials are readily recorded in experimental animals and in humans and have been shown to be
sensitive of toxic effects. In the present work, rats were subchronically treated with alcohol
(5% in the drinking water), with dimethoate (1/25 LD50 per os) and with the combination of the
two. It was tested whether the fatigue during a series of cortical somatosensory evoked potentials
is reproducible and sensitive to the toxicants used. The first and last five potentials from a
series of 50 were averaged and latency and amplitude of the main waves was measured. It was found
that while the latency showed minimal changes over the series, there was always a decrease of
amplitude, which was stronger in the treated animals.
Received: 18 February 2002
Accepted: 21 March 2002
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