Vol 3, No 4 (2009)

The effect of single delta;sleep inducing peptide (DSIP- 60 μg/kg body weight) administration on the parameters of rat brain metabolism under the conditions of chronic amphetamine (2.5 mg/kg body weight, 21 days) or Madopar-125 in a dose corresponding to 50 mg L;DOPA/kg body weight (30 days) was investigated. The neurotransmitter systems were evaluated based on the content of biogenic amines, their metabolites, and activity of neurotransmitter-catabolising enzymes: serotoninergic system was characterized by MAO A activity, serotonin (5’-OT) and 5’-hydroxyindolil acetic acid (5’-HIAA) content, and dopaminergic system by MAO B activity, dopamine (DA), noradrenalin (NA), and homovanilliс acid (HVA) content in the cortex and caudate nucleus of control and experimental rats. The changes in neurotransmitter metabolism parameters induced by DA-activating substances had certain specificity. Characteristics of the corrective effect of DSIP under the conditions of amphetamine or L;DOPA action were demonstrated depending on the type of a pharmacologic agent or brain structures. It is proposed that DSIP effect in vivo is based on the activation of serotonergic system and normalizes brain metabolism, which leads to adaptive behavior of animals. A possibility of using DSIP, by analogy with a drug Deltaran, for the treatment of depressions of various origin, cerebral ischemia, etc. is discussed.

Timefrequency dynamics and spatial characteristics of dischar ges of different types in patients with nonconvulsive epilepsy (n=23) were investigated. Modified wavelet transform was used for the analysis. In patients (n=11) with the diagnosis of childhood absence epilepsy, juvenile absence epilepsy or juveni le mioclonic epilepsy, the timefrequency dynamics of spikewa ve discharges were identical. Typical spikewave discharge arose in the frontal cortex with the short period of maximal frequency (5–6 Hz). The further frequency was 3–3.5 Hz with periodical (about 1 s) fluctuations. In another group of patients (n=12) with the diagnosis of nonconvulsive epilepsy the discharges of several types were observed, and they differed in duration, time frequency dynamics and activity localization with maximal amplitude in the cortex. Atypical discharges were different from typical ones: they had less ordered timefrequency structure and lacked the high frequency period in the frontal cortex. In some patients typical and atypical discharges, or two different forms of atypical discharges could be seen on the same EEG record. The obtained data show that the discharges’ timefrequency analysis with the help of the modified wavelet transform can be used for the classification of discharges of different types and are of value for differential diagnosis of nonconvulsive epilepsy.

Sarcoidosis is a sуstemic disease from the group of granulomatoses which may run with affection of the nervous system. Clinical picture of the disease may vary and depends on a lesion location of granulomas. Cases of neurosarcoidosis with a rare location – intramedullary affection of the spinal chord – are reviewed.