Relationship between metabolic recovery and the EEG prolonged ischemia of cat brain

In normothermic cats, cerebral blood flow was arrested for 1 hour followed by blood recirculation for 5-6 hours. Functional recovery was evaluated by qualitative and quantitative EEG analysis, and metabolic recovery by measuring metabolite and electrolyte levels in tissue samples taken from the cerebral cortex. In 5 out of 12 animals EEG activity did not recover after ischemia (group I); in 3 animals, intermittent EEG activity (group II) and in 4 animals continuous EEG activity returned during the observation period (group III). In group I the energy state was severely disturbed and an increase of calcium was detected, in group II this disturbance was much less pronounced, and in group III changes in energy metabolism and ion concentration were absent with the only exception of lower ADP levels. During recovery, the total intensity of EEG correlated positively with ATP (p less than 0.01) and inversely with lactate (p less than 0.05), and the intensity of the delta band inversely with sodium content (p less than 0.05). The results obtained demonstrate that electrophysiological recovery after prolonged ischemia is closely correlated with the restoration of the energy state and of electrolyte homeostasis of the brain. The inverse relationship of EEG intensity with lactate and sodium are interpreted as evidence for the adverse effects of ongoing post-ischemic glycolysis, resulting in the activation of the H+/Na+ antiporter for the regulation of intracellular pH.