Behaviour-dependent changes of visually evoked potentials and their correlation to the respiration rate in freely moving rats.

The variability of visually evoked potentials (VEP) during spontaneous changes of behavioural activity was investigated in freely moving rats with electrodes in the visual and frontal cortex, olfactory bulb and other brain structures. Averaged VEP were recorded and compared during periods of characteristic behaviour types like drowsiness, relaxed wakefulness, attentiveness, grooming and exploratory behaviour. These behavioural patterns, which are clearly distinguishable by observation, were characterized by a certain degree of visually evoked afterdischarges, recorded movements, EEG-patterns and mean respiration rate. The evaluation of early components of the VEP from single recorded samples and of the correspondent momentary respiration rate (respiration intervals) revealed strongly negative correlations. In general, the increasing behavioural activity is characterized by a decrease in the amplitudes of VEP-components, inversely correlated to the log of momentary respiration rate. During drowsiness and enhanced attentiveness, certain components are increased. During strong movements and distraction of attention (e.g. intensive scratching and licking) the VEP-components were decreased stronger. The negative complex around 62 ms increased during certain forms of behavioural activation and locomotion. The VEP-component N31, the respiration rate, and the quotient N31: N61 were found suitable parameters to characterize certain types of behaviour in comparison to relaxed wakefulness.