Influence of acute and chronic administration of ethanol on photic-evoked response in rats

The effect of acute and chronic administration of ethanol on photic-evoked response was studied in rats. Acute administration of ethanol (1-3 g/kg, i.p.) produced behavioural depression, EEG synchronization and a biphasic effect on the amplitude of the photic evoked responses (PER) recorded from the frontal cortex (FC) and optic cortex (OC), while a reduction in amplitude was observed in the midbrain reticular formation (MBRF). The amplitude of the averaged PER in the FC and OC was increased in chronic ethanol-treated rats, while in the MBRF, a reduction in amplitude was observed. Abrupt discontinuation of ethanol produced behavioural excitation and increase in amplitude of the averaged evoked responses recorded from the three brain areas studied. These observations suggest that the neural hyperexcitability that characterizes ethanol withdrawal may affect both cortical and subcortical structures.