THE EFFECTS OF MEPROBAMATE AND PENTOBARBITAL UPON CORTICAL AND SUBCORTICAL RESPONSES TO AUDITORY STIMULATION

¹ Wallace Laboratories, New Brunswick, N. J.

The effect of meprobamate and pentobarbital upon acoustically evoked responses has been studied in unanesthetized, immobilized cats. The responses recorded from the midbrain reticular formation, nucleus centrum medianum and nucleus medialis dorsalis of the thalamus were sharply depressed by the barbiturate, but response from the medial geniculate body and cerebral cortex were less profoundly affected. Meprobamate did not selectively depress the ascending reticular activating system. The difference in effect upon the nonspecific ascending system between meprobamate and pentobarbital is statistically significant. It was concluded that the tranquilizing action of meprobamate is not exerted by depression of the reticular activating system.