Abstract
The visually evoked potential of the rat is typically comprised of initial primary and secondary components followed by rhythmic “alpha-like” afterdischarge that may persist for several seconds. This photically evoked afterdischarge (PhAD) is sensitive to neurobiological, behavioral, and pharmacological modulation often not reflected in the primary and secondary components. The reliable acquisition of the PhAD is dependent on an optimal level of arousal and on parameters of several categories of differences that vary among albino and pigmented strains of animals, including behavior. The neurogenesis of the PhAD appears dependent on a recurrent excitatory-inhibitory cycle involving the lateral geniculate nucleus. The PhAD is highly sensitive to convulsant and anti-convulsant agents. These latter effects support the potential application of the PhAD as a model for thalamically active drugs useful in the treatment of epilepsy.
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Shearer, D.E., Creel, D. The photically evoked afterdischarge: Current concepts and potential applications. Psychobiology 6, 369–376 (1978). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03326741
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03326741