Effects of intracerebroventricularly injected "nerveside" on free behaviour and EEG activity of rats. A pilot study.

"Nerveside", a phosphopeptide extracted from ox and dog brains by Toh, was injected into one lateral ventricle of four rats previously prepared for the injection as well as for recordings of the EEG of the dorsal hippocampus (field CA1) and sensorimotor cortex. "Nerveside" in doses of 150 and 300 micrograms/animal induced a transient stereotyped behaviour and longer lasting alterations of the EEG activity and vigilance pattern. Wakefulness was increased, slow wave sleep and REM-sleep were diminished. The vigilance pattern was characterized by rapid shifts between all three vigilance states. The effects of "nerveside" were visible for about three hours.