Abstract
Simultaneous recordings of sum potentials were made in the retina, the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), the superior colliculi (SC), and the visual cortex (VC) of cats. Light stimuli and electrical stimuli were alternatingly applied.
A superposition of the effects of hypoxia/anoxia with an initial hyperexcitability in the central visual pathways due to disinhibition caused by the early failure of retinal ganglion cell maintained activity was avoided by photocoagulation of both retinae prior to the experiments.
During hypoxia/anoxia induced by nitrogen respiration, the b-wave of the electroretinogram (ERG) displayed the earliest susceptibility, followed by the postsynaptic components of the VC, SC and LGN sum potentials, the OT-response to electrical stimuli, and the less susceptible receptor component of the ERG. The light-induced cortical visually evoked potential (VEP) disappeared together with the electrically elicited postsynaptic part of the VC response, while the ERG b-wave was still present. The same sequence of failures occured with a shorter latency after circulatory arrest elicited by air injection into the right atrium. During hypotonia produced by blood volume reduction, the b-wave began to decrease first at a mean arterial blood pressure of 60 mm Hg. The cortical VEP declined with the b-wave, while the responses to electrical stimulation remained unchanged until the mean arterial blood pressure values fell short of 40 mm Hg.
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Eysel, U.T. Susceptibility of the cat's visual system to hypoxia, hypotonia and circulatory arrest. Pflugers Arch. 375, 251–256 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00582438
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00582438