Abstract
The effects of isoflurane at three different doses (0.75, 1.68, and 2.17 MAC) were examined in 12 male rats at two different times of day on baseline and in response to a tactile stimulus (tailpinch) and an auditory stimulus (click). Dependent measures included anterior-parietal and posterior-parietal electrocorticograms (ECoGs), heart rate (HR), respiration, and gross body movement. The ECoG was the measure most sensitive in distinguishing anesthetic dose, whereas gross body movement exhibited the least sensitivity. Finally, although there were significant circadian variations in the ECoG, HR, and respiration for baseline doses of isoflurane, circadian variation in anesthetic action was not demonstrated. The data support the notion that animals can experience stimuli under anesthesia to which they do not, or cannot, exhibit motor responses.
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Venneman, S., Anch, A.M. & Dyche, J. Psychophysiological measures of anesthetic depth. Psychobiology 25, 171–179 (1997). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03331924
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03331924