Antidepressant Subclassification Based on the Quantitatively Analyzed Electrocorticogram of the Rat
F. Krijzer, Renate G. van der Molen, Berend Olivier, F. Vollmer · Birkhäuser Basel eBooks · 1991
Behavioural clinical data show different types of antidepressant drugs, e.g. sedating, stabilizing or activating ones. Another differentiation may be based on the presence or absence of anxiolytic activity. These different profiles can be recognized by the changes of the electrical brain activity induced by these drugs in humans and animals. Here we present a subclassification of antidepressant drugs based on the quantitative analysis of the ECoG of the rat. Subclass 1 is characterized by decrease of the power over the whole frequency range from 0 to 100 Hz indicating sedative activity. Subclass 2 is characterized by power changes characteristic for anxiolytic activity. Subclass 3 is characterized by power changes characteristic for stimulatory activity. The classification of drugs based on EcoG-profiles may be a relevant animal model to detect new antidepressants.