DELAYED RECOVERY OF AUDITORY CORTICAL EVOKED-POTENTIALS IS CORRELATEDWITH CORTICAL NEURONAL DEATH AFTER TRANSIENT CEREBRAL-ISCHEMIA IN AWAKE GERBILS

Early detection of irreversible neuronal change after transient cerebr al ischemia is important so that adequate treatment can be initiated w ithin the therapeutic window. We have examined the correlation between changes in middle-latency auditory evoked potentials (MAEPs) and hist ological changes in the auditory cortex of awake Mongolian gerbils sub jected to 4 min or 12 min of transient cerebral ischemia. Post-ischemi c MAEPs were characterized by the appearance of a markedly large negat ive and positive component at approximately 17-22 ms latency in both g roups. Delay in the appearance of the high amplitude (maximal amplitud e at 45 min after recirculation in the 12-min ischemia group) precedes the slowly developing death of neurons in the auditory cortex that re sults from transient cerebral ischemia. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.