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Biomedical subjects

H Pockberger

Publications and source records attributed to H Pockberger.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Electrophysiological and morphological properties of rat motor cortex neurons in vivo.

This paper describes results obtained from intracellular recordings and stainings of motor cortex neurons in the rat in vivo. Rats were anesthetized with phenobarbital. Neurons were intracellularly recorded with micropipettes filled with K+-methylsulphate + 4% HRP in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4). Successful recordings and stainings were obtained from 31 neurons. Intracellular recordings were distinguished as either intrasomatic or intradendritic. Action potentials (APs) recorded from somata were distinguished by their fast hyperpolarizing afterpotential from those recorded within dendrites. Dendritic APs were broader and often followed by an afterdepolarization. The firing patterns elicited by depolarizing current pulses allowed to distinguish 3 groups of neurons. (a) Group A neurons with a moderate firing-rate of up to 17 APs during a 100 ms depolarizing current pulse of 3.5 nA comprised small and large pyramidal cells and one aspiny multipolar neuron, probably a large basket neuron. (b) Group B neurons generated bursts, which either occurred spontaneously or during low intensity current injection. These neurons were classified as small pyramidal neurons and spiny star cells. (c) Group C neurons had a firing rate 3 times as high as group A neurons. These neurons were small aspiny cells with radial dendritic fields, which were classified as local interneurons. Intradendritic recordings were characterized by the occurrence of broad APs, most likely generated within the dendritic tree. Intracellular current injections produced burst-like potentials consisting of several APs with different amplitude and duration. In 3 penetrations of one apical dendrite up to 4 neurons were stained. In these recordings APs activated by intracellular current injection were particularly broad (up to 40 ms). The results suggest that neuronal firing patterns observed in in-vitro neocortical slices are also observed in in-vivo conditions.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1991

An approach to a synopsis of EEG parameters, morphology of brain convolutions and mental activities.

A method for the projection of EEG data on the brain surface is proposed. The EEG data are obtained during the performance of mental tasks and represented as probability maps of power and coherence changes with respect to the averaged EEG at rest. The morphological data are obtained from 3D reconstructions of the brain by means of serial slices provided by an MRI scanner. Before scanning the positions of the EEG electrodes were marked by dummy electrodes of plexiglass filled with a contrast medium. Changes of power are color-coded and entered at the respective electrode positions, changes of coherence between the respective positions. The applicability of this procedure in the fields of psychology, psychiatry and neurology is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Focal epilepsy: generation and spreading mechanisms in experimental conditions].

This paper describes essential mechanisms underlying focal epileptic activity. Within the centre of an epileptic focus neurons display a characteristic phenomenon - the paroxysmal depolarization shift. This type of activity is partly caused by membrane-intrinsic mechanisms and also by postsynaptic excitation. Burster neurons seem to play a special role in this mechanism. Whereas the centre of an epileptic focus is distinguished by its massive excitation, the immediate surrounding are characterized by massive inhibitory phenomena ("epileptic inhibition"). The transition from interictal to ictal phenomena goes along with the spread of activity to adjacent neocortical areas. Experimental studies give strong evidence that this epileptic spread is dependent on neocortical anatomy.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

High resolution multi-temperature sensors for biomedical application.

A temperature sensor array was designed in order to study local temperature variations and temperature gradients in biological samples. The sensor probe was inserted in the optical cortex of rabbits in order to study temperature changes during normal brain activity as well as under artificial ventilation conditions. Temperature sensitive areas of 0.14 mm x 0.1 mm are arranged in a row with interdistances of 0.4 mm yielding high spatial resolution. A temperature resolution of 0.1 mK and a 90% response time of maximum 3 milliseconds was obtained utilizing the high temperature dependence of 2%/K of the conductivity of vacuum evaporated germanium films. The sensor is passivated by a 1 micron thick PECVD-silicon nitride layer and can be placed on glass-, alumina- and polymer substrates. For brain tissue studies, in order to minimize tissue damage the temperature sensors were placed on a 0.1 mm thick needle-shaped glass substrate. A sensor element mounted on a glass substrate and immersed in water showed a self heating of less than 5 mK due to the applied measurement current of 2.1 microA.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Pathophysiological aspects of dysphoric states.

Dysphoric states have been of particular interest for a long time since they occur not only in patients with psycho-organic syndromes but also in those with manic-depressive disease. This paper discusses some aspects of dysphoria from the pathophysiological point of view. Data mostly derived from epileptic patients indicate the critical role the limbic system plays in the control of emotions. It is suggested that functional alterations within the limbic system and its manifold interconnections to other parts of the central nervous system are responsible for characteristic pathophysiological phenomena as, e.g., dysphoria.

Affective Disorders, Psychotic↗
PubMed1986

Paroxysmal neuronal depolarizations in the rat motorcortex in vivo: intracellular injection of the calcium agonist BAY K 8644.

Epileptic activity was elicited in the rat's motor cortex by local application of penicillin. At the neuronal level it consisted of typical paroxysmal depolarization shifts. The calcium agonist BAY K 8644 was injected into neurons showing such a discharge pattern. The application of this drug increased amplitude and after depolarization of paroxysmal neuronal depolarizations.

3-Pyridinecarboxylic acid, 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethy↗
PubMed1985

On-going EEG in depression: a topographic spectral analytical pilot study.

Spontaneous EEG activities recorded with 19 electrodes (10-20 system) on the scalp were quantified by spectral analytical methods (power and coherence spectra) to reveal changes of power and coherence during different conditions (eyes closed/relaxed, eyes opened/relaxed, flicker stimulation, reading, listening to a story). Control subjects and depressive patients were compared. Power as well as coherence changes were found in all frequency bands. Changes in the organization of the EEG were found in different areas of both hemispheres. The EEG organization was different in control subjects and depressive patients, indicating different levels of vigilance and/or different cognitive strategies in verbal tasks in the two groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

[Music perception, EEG and musical training].

Changes of EEG during listening to music were studied in two groups of probands, one of them with several years of training on a musical instrument. The EEG was recorded simultaneously from 19 electrodes (10:20 system) against connected ear lobe electrodes. One minute recording periods at rest before and after music were compared with a period of one minute recording during listening to music. 30 seconds of each of these recordings were studied by Fourier analysis. Averaged power and coherence spectra (between transversally adjacent electrodes and between electrodes on homologous regions of both hemispheres) were computed. Broad band parameters were chosen for 5 frequency bands between 4 and 32 Hz. Significant changes of the parameters were represented topographically. During listening to music, a significant reversible decrease of the parameters studied was found: in the musically trained group on both sides, but preponderantly on the right hemisphere, in the non-trained group almost exclusively on the left hemisphere. Moreover, in the trained group, the changes occurred more frequently and involved larger regions of the skull than in the untrained group. In addition, the first group had most changes in the frequency range between 18 and 24 Hz, the second group between 13 and 18 Hz. Finally, comparisons of the changes between the control period before music and music and those between the control period after music and listening to music led to additional conclusions on different strategies of the processing of musical information in musically trained and untrained persons.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Penicillin-induced epileptic phenomena in the rabbit's neocortex I. The development of interictal spikes after epicortical application of penicillin.

In an attempt to elucidate the generation mechanisms underlying interictal spikes in the neocortex, the temporal development of spikes after the epicortical penicillin (PNC) application was studied. Field potentials (FP) were recorded simultaneously within the 6 neocortical layers with a multielectrode consisting of 16 contacts (10 X 10 micron 2) in a row at spacings of 150 micron. A one-dimensional current-source-density (CSD) analysis yielded the positions of current, sink and source densities, so that the different electrical events during a spike could be more accurately located within the different neocortical layers. After the epicortical application of PNC a typical succession of events, which underly the development of spikes, was observed. These events are similar in the visual and the motor cortex: immediately after the epicortical PNC application negative transients occur in the two uppermost cortical layers as well as within layers V to III. Due to the diffusion of the drug a characteristic succession of different processes takes place. Fully developed spikes show a typical configuration of sources and sinks, a moderate sink in layer V initiates a massive, double-peaked sink within layers II, III. This configuration of sinks suggests that some sort of triggering mechanism takes place. Since similar events are observed during interictal spikes in the visual and the motor cortex, neuronal structures common to both cortical areas are supposed to be responsible for the generation of PNC spikes.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Penicillin-induced epileptic phenomena in the rabbit's neocortex II. Laminar specific generation of interictal spikes after the application of penicillin to different cortical depths.

To elucidate the generation mechanisms of interictal spikes we analyzed the electrical events in the different layers of the rabbit's neocortex after application of penicillin to distinct cortical layers. Field potentials (FP) recorded simultaneously from all layers with a 16-fold micro-electrode-assembly were subjected to current-source-density analysis (CSD), which allows a more accurate description of local electrical events. To demonstrate the influence of neocortical architectonics on the generation of interictal spikes, 3 different areas-area occipitalis 1, precentralis 1 and 2, according to Fleischhauer et al., were studied. Interictal spikes develop regardless of the depth of PNC application. Moreover the appearance of spikes does not seem to depend exclusively on the diffusion of PNC into a distinct cortical layer (i.e. layers IV and V). The CSD analysis indicated that different generation mechanisms within the different cortical layers underly the spikes. According to CSD configurations maximum sinks occur at depths where the dendrites join closely to form bundles. This finding supports the importance of dendrites for the generation of interictal spikes. Finally, the distribution of CSD patterns is similar in all 3 neocortical areas studied, if PNC is applied to the same cortical depth.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Computer-assisted EEG topography as a tool in the evaluation of actions of psychoactive drugs in patients.

This paper summarizes a tentative application of EEG topography to the evaluation of the efficiency of psychoactive drugs. It shows that the spectral content of the EEG, recorded simultaneously at different locations according to the international 10-20 system, is a sensitive measure for the quantification of drug activity. Furthermore, coherence analysis reveals differences in the functional organization of the neocortex under neuroleptic drug therapy.

Antipsychotic Agents↗
PubMed1983

[Mechanism of the generation of evoked potentials in the rabbit neocortex].

This paper describes the analyses of evoked potentials recorded in different neocortical areas (Area precentralis 1 and 2, occipitalis 1 and 2) and elicited by different stimulation techniques (antidromic stimulation of the pyramidal tract, electrical stimulation of thalamic nuclei, the optic nerve and finally random dot stimulation of the retina). Field potentials were recorded intracortically with a 16-fold electrode. The analyses of field potentials with the current-source-density method yielded an estimation of the current source and sink density distributions within the six neocortical layers. Hence spatio-temporal patterns of layer specific activation processes (sinks and sources) can be described for the various evoked potentials. The results can be summarized as follows: every evoked potential shows a spatio-temporal pattern of sources and sinks which is independent of the neocortical area and the mode of stimulation. However, the late components of the evoked potentials show great variations in their generation mechanisms, thus indicating regional differences in neocortical architectonics. These observations are discussed with regard to morphology, electrical activity and functional properties of the studied neocortical areas.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

The contribution of the cortical layers to the generation of the EEG: field potential and current source density analyses in the rabbit's visual cortex.

Intracortical spontaneous field potentials (EEG) were simultaneously recorded from the different layers of the rabbit's visual cortex using multielectrodes produced by thin-film technology. The signals were subjected to spectral analyses. Additionally, current source density analysis was applied to spontaneous delta waves. The results are based on 10 experiments. The spontaneous EEG of the rabbit's visual cortex consists mainly of slow delta waves. The spectral analytical studies of the delta band showed maximum power in layers I and II and in layers V and VI. Significant power minima were found in the middle layers IV and/or III. Essentially, the zones of power minima agree with the zones of minimum coherence and those zones where a phase reversal is observed. These properties of the intracortical spontaneous delta activity are best described as dipole-like. The spontaneous delta waves can be surface negative or surface positive; accordingly they show different source-sink distributions from which different generation mechanisms can be inferred. The possible mechanisms for the generation of these current source-sink distributions (dipoles) are discussed, taking into consideration the cortical anatomy. In many cases these discussions must be speculative because, for an unambiguous explanation of the observed phenomena, a much better knowledge of the cortical anatomy, the fibre connections with other cortical anatomy, the fibre connections with other cortical areas and with the deep cerebral structures is necessary.

Alpha Rhythm↗
PubMed1981

Current source density analysis: methods and application to simultaneously recorded field potentials of the rabbit's visual cortex.

This paper deals with the application of current source density (CSD) analysis to simultaneously recorded intracortical field potentials of the rabbit's visual cortex. Recordings were made with multielectrodes with either 8 contacts at distances of 300 microns, or 16 contacts at distances of 150 microns on one carrier needle. For synchronized activities, a spatial resolution of 150 microns turned out to be sufficient to record all depth-varying details of the field potentials; for seizure potentials even a spacing of 300 microns was adequate in most cases. For practical application, an appropriate spacing of the measuring points has to be chosen for a satisfactory estimation of the first and second derivatives of the field potentials. For this reason an interpolation procedure is applied to reduce the spacing from 300 microns or 150 microns electrode contact distances, respectively, and to obtain intermediate values at 75 microns distances. With this spacing satisfactory estimations of the second derivative are obtained. Theoretically, CSD analysis has to be made three-dimensionally, but under certain conditions which are discussed, a one-dimensional analysis can be applied. An unknown quantity is sigma z, the vertical conductivity. It turned out that average values obtained from different experiments are not representative and that the vertical conductivity has to be measured in every experiment. This is caused by the great individual differences of the cortices even if the same stereotactic coordinates are chosen. Therefore, in every experiment relative conductivity measurements are performed. The influence of different conductivity values within the various layers and the influence of a conductivity gradient is discussed and demonstrated by examples.

Animals↗