Effect of some anticonvulsant drugs on the spinal trigeminal nucleus

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Abstract
The effect of carbamazepine (Tegretol), diphenyl-hydantoin (Dilantin), phenobarbital, and impramine hydrochloride(Tofranil) on single neurons in the spinal trigeminal nucleus of cats was studied. The latency of response of spinal trigeminal neurons to electrical stimulation of the maxillary nerve was increased by Tegretol and by Dilantin, while the response to antidromic stimulation remained unchanged. Tegretol had a more consistent, prolonged effect than Dilantin. Phenobarbital progressively decreased the amplitude of the spikes to both orthodromic and antidromic stimulation with small changes in their latency. Tofranil had no effect or actually decreased their latency of response to maxillary nerve stimulation. The validity of electrical stimulation of the maxillary nerve as a model of trigeminal neuralgia is discussed. Drugs that relieve trigeminal neuralgia may depress synaptic transmission in the spinal trigeminal nucleus and the more potent the clinical effect of the drug, the more marked the synaptic depression.