[Further study of the antiepileptic properties of nicotinamide]

Acute experiments on cats have shown that nicotinamide (100-500 mg/kg) injected intravenously suppresses the epileptic activity in solitary foci produced in the cortex by application for several seconds of a 0.5% solution of penicillin as well as in the complex of foci produced by application of a 0.1--3% solution of strychnine to various cortical zones. Nicotinamide (500-100 mg/kg) does not affect the character of the epileptic activity of foci created by application of 1% penicillin to the cerebral cortex or on the generalized epileptic activity produced by application of concentrated solutions of strychnine or penicillin. In an epileptic focus produced by application of 5-10% acetylcholine and 0.5% proserine, injection of nicotinamide leads at first to the disappearance of after-effect discharge and then of spike potential. It is concluded that nicotinamide has an antiepileptic activity.