CORPUS CALLOSOTOMY EFFECTS ON CEREBRAL BLOOD-FLOW AND EVOKED-POTENTIALS (TRANSCALLOSAL DIASCHISIS)

The role of the corpus callosum in diaschisis was examined through the acute effects of stereotactic corpus callosum section on cerebral blo od flow and somatosensory or auditory evoked potentials bilaterally du ring unilateral brain retraction ischemia, using a previously reported swine model. Cerebral blood flow and evoked potential amplitude contr alateral to retraction increased during retraction with the corpus cal losum intact, compared with post-callosal section values. With retract ion following callosal section, there was no increase in cerebral bloo d flow or evoked potential amplitude contralateral to retraction. Dias chisis during the early stages of a focal, unilateral injury takes the form of a contralateral disinhibition (as measured by cerebral blood flow and evoked potentials), an effect which is lost following callosa l section.