Ethanol effects on rat cerebellar Purkinje cells

1. Cerebellar Purkinje cell unit activity was recorded in urethane or halothane anaesthetized rats. 2. Ethanol (4 g/kg i.p., 30% w/v) increased simple spike activity and decreased complex spike activity. This pattern then changed to one of an oscillatory bursting discharge. 3. The blood ethanol levels were very much higher after doses of 4 g/kg i.p. than after 1.5 g/kg i.v. administered in divided doses. 4. The results do not support the claim by Rogers et al. (1980) that ethanol increases complex spike activity.