Electroencephalogram power spectra in thioacetamide-induced hepatic encephalopathy

During the development of hepatic encephalopathy after thioacetamide (TAA) injection to rat, EEG was recorded at two different states: without or with tactile stimulation of tail at regular intervals. Calculations based on the spectral and band analysis were used. The changes in the power spectra and bands were examined in 3 different behavioral stages: normal, mild ataxia and severe ataxia. In normal rats, the stimulation produced the increase in the power of the theta (3.5-8 Hz) and the gamma (30-50 Hz) bands. These changes could not be produced in rats with the mild and severe ataxia. The changes in the power of the theta band occurred earlier than those of the beta3 and the gamma bands in the stimulated state. Gradual decreases in the spectral power of the beta3 (21-30 Hz) and the gamma bands were correlated with the progress of the stages from normal condition to mild to severe ataxia in both unstimulated and stimulated states. The results indicate that the spectral and band analysis used in this study can quantify the severity of the neurological malfunction during HE.