Evidence that monoamines influence human evoked potentials

doi:10.1016/0006-8993(75)90607-1

Brain Research

Volume 99, Issue 1, 28 November 1975, Pages 49-58

https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-8993(75)90607-1 Get rights and content

Summary

We have measured latency and flash/pattern differentials of the visual evoked potential (VEP) from phenylketonuric humans, while systematically manipulating rates of amine synthesis in the central nervous system using two techniques. We have observed that stimulation of monoaminergic activity in the visual processing system, either by lowering inhibitory levels of phenylalanine through dietary restriction or by a properly balanced administration of indole and catecholamine precursors, shortened VEP latencies and permitted the development of a discriminative brain response to patterned stimuli. The close temporal relationship between these electrophysiological changes and the neurochemical manipulations following treatment initiation or discontinuation argue that monoamines play a significant role in the mediation of human sensory evoked potentials.

References (36)

BigumH.B. et al.
Visual and somatosensory evoked responses from mongoloid and normal children
Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.
(1970)
ChalkeF.C.R. et al.
Evoked potentials and intelligence
Life Sci.
(1965)
DafnyN. et al.
l-DOPA and reserpine: effects on evoked potentials in basal ganglia of freely moving rats
Brain Research
(1973)
DafnyN. et al.
Alteration of evoked potentials in caudate nucleus of freely moving rats by l-DOPA, reserpine and pentobarbitol
Exp. Neurol.
(1974)
DustmanR.E. et al.
The effects of maturation and aging on the waveform of visually evoked potentials
Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.
(1969)
HarterM.R. et al.
Effects of contour sharpness and check-size on visually evoked cortical potentials
Vision Res.
(1968)
HarterM.R. et al.
Evoked cortical responses to checkerboard patterns: effect of check-size as a function of visual acuity
Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.
(1970)
LesevreN. et al.
Potentials evoqués par l'apparition de patterns: effects de la dimension du pattern et de la densité des contrastes
Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.
(1972)
McKeanC.M.
The effects of high phenylalanine concentrations on serotonin and catecholamine metabolism in the human brain
Brain Research
(1972)
PadmosP. et al.
Visually evoked potentials to patterned stimuli in monkey and man
Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.
(1973)

SabelliH.C. et al.

Effects of alpha-adrenergic blockers on visual evoked responses in rabbits

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

(1972)

SpehlmannR.

The averaged electrical response to diffuse and to patterned light in the human

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

(1965)

AxelrodJ.

The metabolism, storage and release of catecholamines

Rec. Progr. Horm. Res.

(1965)

CreutzfeldtO.D. et al.

The visual evoked potential: physiological, developmental and clinical aspects

EllingsonR.J.

Development of visual evoked responses in human infants recorded by a response averager

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

(1966)

GalbraithG.C. et al.

Visual evoked responses in mentally retarded and nonretarded subjects

Amer. J. ment. Defic.

(1970)

HarterM.R.

Evoked cortical responses to checkerboard patterns: effect of check-size as a function of retinal eccentricity

Vision Res.

(1970)

HoganD.D.

Cortical response of retardates for AER audiometry

Amer. J. ment. Defic.

(1971)

Cited by (46)

Visual evoked potentials in disproportionately growth-retarded human neonates
2004, Pediatric Neurology
To study brain function in the neonatal period, disproportionately growth-retarded (n = 33) and appropriately grown (n = 21) infants were examined using Doppler flow velocities prenatally and visual evoked potentials postnatally. Visual evoked potentials recordings were made at gestation of 40 and 46 weeks. The group of growth-retarded infants had significantly prolonged latencies to both of the two major peaks (designated P and N), most pronounced for the P peak. This result was observed at both ages investigated and corresponds to a developmental delay of 3 weeks. For individuals, the increase in P latency correlated to prenatal flow indices and to neonatal anthropometric parameters indicative of growth retardation. We conclude that in utero growth retardation affects brain development as assessed by visual evoked potentials in the neonatal period. This developmental delay may be produced by intracerebral factors during the process of growth retardation, and these alterations may have a prognostic value.
Effects of antiepileptic drugs on evoked potentials in epileptic children
2000, Pediatric Neurology
To evaluate the visual and auditory function in children and adolescents who are undergoing monotherapy with sodium valproate, carbamazepine, and phenobarbital visual-evoked potentials and brainstem auditory-evoked potentials were measured in 58 epileptic patients (30 males and 28 females), ages 13.7 ± 6.9 years. Fifty healthy sex- and age-matched children served as controls. The measurements were performed before the beginning of therapy and after 12 months. Before the beginning of therapy, there were no significant differences in visual- and auditory-evoked potentials between the control group and the three groups of epileptic children. After 12 months of therapy, patients treated with carbamazepine demonstrated a significant (P < 0.001) increase of P100 latencies when compared with baseline data and control values; moreover, these patients exhibited a significant increase of peak latencies of waves I-III-V and interpeak interval I-V at auditory second evaluation. The patients treated with sodium valproate manifested a significant (P < 0.05) increase in VEP P100 latencies. On the contrary, children receiving phenobarbital did not manifest any significant abnormality at visual- and auditory-evoked potentials measurements. Our study demonstrates that for patients treated with carbamazepine and sodium valproate, an electrophysiologic dysfunction of visual and auditory sensory pathways can be present after 12 months of treatment.
EEG and event-related potentials in normal aging
1993, Progress in Neurobiology
Age-related changes in the metabolism of dopamine and its derivatives. Application to pervasive developmental disorders
1992, Neurophysiologie Clinique / Clinical Neurophysiology
Les taux de dopamine (DA) et de ses dérivés, l'acide homovanillique (HVA) sous forme totale, libre et conjuguée, l'acide dihydroxyphénylacétique (DOPAC) sous forme totale, libre et conjuguée, et la 3-méthoxytyramine (3-MT) ont été déterminés sur des prélèvements d'urine chez des enfants autistiques âgés de 2 ans 8 mois à 12 ans et comparés à ceux d'enfants normaux du même âge. Des effets très significatifs pour les groupes et les âges ont été observés pour la dopamine, l'HVA et la 3-méthoxytyramine. Les résultats sont discutés en fonction de l'hypothèse d'un trouble de la maturation des systèmes dopaminergiques dans l'autisme de l'enfant.
Dopamine (DA) and its metabolites homovanillic acid (HVA) in total, free and conjugated forms, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in total, free and conjugated forms, and 3 methoxytyramine (3 MT) levels were determined in the urine of autistic children from 2 years 8 months to 12 years of age and compared to those in normal children of identical age. Very significant group and age effects were found for DA, HVA and 3 MT. In the discussion, results are related to the hypothesis of a disorder in the maturation of the dopaminergic systems in infantile autism.
The development of auditory and visual evoked potentials in early treated phenylketonuric children
1991, Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology/ Evoked Potentials
Brain-stem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) and flash visual evoked potentials (F-VEPs) were gathered from 8 early treated phenylketonuric (PKU) children in a prospective longitudinal investigation during the 1st to the 12th months after birth. No consistent differences were found in the wave morphology of evoked potentials in PKU children from that of age-matched controls.
Studying the latency of some components showed that in BAEPs, wave I latency was similar to control values for the whole year, but that the I-V interpeak mean latency (I-V IPL) was always significantly longer than in controls. In F-VEPs were N1 latency was significantly longer than in controls only at 1–2 months of age, but returned to control values at 3–4 months (when all children were on dietary therapy) and remained in this range up to the 12th month. The mean latency of the P2 wave of flash VEPs was always significantly longer in PKU children than in controls. These results show that relevant alterations in evoked potentials may be foud in PKU children several months after starting dietary therapy. This suggests that information processing in the brain may be impaired for a long time, due to abnormal metabolic conditions between birth and the onset of dietary therapy.
Pattern reversal evoked potentials: Age, sex and hemispheric asymmetry
1985, Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology/ Evoked Potentials
Binocular pattern reversal evoked potentials (PREPs) and EEG power were recorded bilaterally from occipital scalp of 50 boys and 50 girls aged 5–14. PREP latency was unaffected by either age or gender. Amplitudes, however, were consistently larger for girls than boys, with differences diminishing by adolescence. Significant electrophysiological asymmetries were also found; larger PREP amplitudes were measured at the right occipital electrode than the left for the two waves investigated. These asymmetries were apparent in both girls and boys across all ages, although they tended to diminish with maturation. EEG alpha asymmetry did not correlate with PREP amplitude asymmetry.
PREPs elicited by half-field stimulation of 8 girls aged 9–10 years determined that ‘paradoxical laterization’ of the half-field response was the same for both left and right half-fields, thus failing to account for the asymmetry of the full-field binocular response.
Les potentiels évoqués à des inversions de patterns présentés en binoculaire (PREP) ainsi que la puissance de l'EEG ont été enregistrés bilatéralement sur le scalp occipital de 50 garçons et de 50 fillettes âgés de 5 à 14 ans. La latence des PREP n'a été affectée ni par l'âge ni par le sexe. Toutefois, les amplitudes ont toujours été plus grandes chez les filles que chez les garçons, les différences s'atténuant au cours de l'adolescence. Des asymétries électrophysiologiques significatives ont été trouvées; l'amplitude desPREP était plus grande, sous l'électrode occipitale droite que sous l'électrode gauche, ceci pour les deux ondes considérées. Ces asymétries étaient apparentes chez les filles comme chez les garçons et ceci à tout âge, bien qu'elles tendent à diminuer avec la maturation. L'asymétrie de l'alpha de l'EEG n'était pas liée à l'asymétrie de l'amplitude des PREP.
Les PREP produits par stimulation de la moitié du champ chez 8 fillettes âgées de 9 à 10 ans ont mis en évidence que la ‘latéralisation paradoxale’ des réponses de demi-champ était la même pour une stimulation de l'hémichamp gauche ou droit, ce qui n'a donc pas permis de rendre compte de l'asymétrie de la réponse binoculaire de champ total.

View all citing articles on Scopus

View full text

Evidence that monoamines influence human evoked potentials

Summary

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Life Sci.

Brain Research

Exp. Neurol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Vision Res.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Brain Research

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

The metabolism, storage and release of catecholamines

Rec. Progr. Horm. Res.

The visual evoked potential: physiological, developmental and clinical aspects

Development of visual evoked responses in human infants recorded by a response averager

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Visual evoked responses in mentally retarded and nonretarded subjects

Amer. J. ment. Defic.

Evoked cortical responses to checkerboard patterns: effect of check-size as a function of retinal eccentricity

Vision Res.

Cortical response of retardates for AER audiometry

Amer. J. ment. Defic.