The acute pretrigeminal rat

In five rats the brainstem was transected at the pretrigeminal level. In the frontal cortex, desynchronized EEG activity dominated, while in the dorsal hippocampus theta activity of low frequency (about 4 cycle/s) was almost continuously present. Olfactory and visual stimuli and electrical stimulation of the posterior hypothalamus induced or increased cortical EEG desynchronization and increased the regularity and the frequency of the theta activity in the hippocampus. However, visual stimuli were effective only in three rats. Ocular responses (pupillary dilatation, eye movements) were never observed to any stimulation. It is suggested that similarly as in the pretrigeminal cat, the isolated cerebrum is awake in the pretrigeminal rat.