Event-related slow potentials in rat cortex during a reaction time task: cortical area differences

Event-related slow potentials were recorded from frontal and visual cortex of rats during a reaction time task in which rats were initiated at variable intervals by an auditory warning stimulus. Transcortical slow potential (SP) responses during the two-second period between onset of the warning stimulus and extension of a retractable lever were analyzed, using single trial and averaged response data. SP responses recorded from the two cortical areas differed significantly with respect to waveform and amplitude. The results indicate that event-related slow potentials from rat cortex are area dependent and that the small size of the rat brain does not preclude recording of SP changes with differential cortical distribution.