SPREADING CORTICAL CONVULSIONS AND DEPRESSIONS

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Abstract
A transition of Leao''s spreading depression into a convulsive pattern, moving at the same low velocity over the cortex, was produced in a number ways. (1) The repetition of the stimulus eliciting the spreading depression causes the appearance of spikes and high potential runs, during the depression which on further repetition may develop into a continuous convulsive pattern. (2) An increase of the systemic blood pressure favors the development of convulsive patterns during the period of the spreading depression. (3) An acute transition of the spreading depression into a spreading convulsive pattern is caused by the topical application of acetylcholine to the cortex, either in normal prepns. or in prepns. previously treated with Prostigmine. (4) The application of pilocarpine to the cortex had the same effect. (5) Feeding 7-15% CO2 into the apparatus for artificial respiration also causes the acute transition of a spreading depression into a spreading convulsive pattern. The slow potential change of the cortex, which invariably accompanies the spreading depression, was also found to accompany the spreading convulsive pattern. These findings are discussed in their relation to previous observations which led to the conclusion that the spreading depression is accompanied by a wave of vaso-constriction. It was argued that the transition of the spreading depression into a spreading convulsive pattern is caused by interference with this wave of vasoconstriction.

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