In the past studies of the effect of alcohol on the EEG, attentions have been paid chiefly to the electroencephalographic observations of the effect of alcohol on the central nervous system or to the observations of the EEG in the state of delirium caused by drinking. These are described by George et al.(1), Gibbs et al.(2) and many other workers.
To summarize these observations, it seems that after the administration of alcohol, both in man and animals, the cortical frequencies decrease progressively as intoxication develops, and in man at least, the degree of slowing, as measured by the displacement of frequency spectrum, ran parallel to the increase in the concentration of alcohol in blood. There is no gross change in the appearance of the EEG unless the subject falls asleep or passes into coma.
Fujiwara(3) and Fujiwara & Kuwana(4) of our Department already reported on the metabolism of alcohol and the action of antabuse in rabbits. The report of the latter contained the observation of the EEG. The purpose of this paper is to describe the effects of ethyl alcohol, antabuse and acetaldehyde on the EEG of rabbits.