Comparison of Physostigmine and Amphetamine in Antagonizing the EEG Effects of GNS Depressants.

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Abstract
1) Pentobarbital, chlorpromazine, phenaglycodol and meprobamate when injected i.v. into rabbits produced a synchronous (high voltage low frequency) EEG pattern. Physostigmine or d-amphetamine, in suitable doses, antagonized this pattern and evoked an alert (low voltage high frequency) EEG tracing. The dose of amphetamine necessary to antagonize synchronous EEG record generally paralleled the dose of neurosedative administered, especially in the case of chlorpromazine and pentobarbital. In contrast, low doses of physostigmine usually exerted its EEG effect regardless of dose of CNS depressant employed. This indicates that the EEG activation mechanism is more sensitive to cholinergic than to adrenergic drugs and supports the conclusion of several authors that the EEG alerting mechanism is fundamentally cholinergic in rabbits. 2) The evidence indicates that the EEG effects of chlorpromazine are not necessarily related to its peripheral adrenolytic actions.