[Long-term treatment with lithium salts and cerebral electric activity. Experimental research]

An eeg study was carried out in rabbits to investigate the neurophysiological effects of chronic lithium clorure treatment. The Monnier and Gangloff's stereotaxic method was used for recording cortical and deep structure activity. Lithium clorure was administered i.p. at doses of 20 mg/Kg/die for 15-22 days (mean plasmatic levels: 0.04 mEq/l). The eeg changes consisted in synchronization of the cortical activity, slowing of the deep structure activity and increase of CAD spiking. The most interesting finding was the appearance of peculiar periodic spikes in the CAD and subcortical structures. A similar pattern has been previously described by us in rabbits treated with repeated ECT.