AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE MODE OF ENERCY CONSUMPTION IN BRAIN
Authors: Horikaws Ryohei 
Published: March 2008

Summary and Conclusion

The EEG was recorded tipon 15 subjects in all, namely: 6 general paresis, 5 schizophrenia, 2 epilepsy, 1 hysteria and 1 hypomania. During rise in body temperature due to intravenous injection of typhoid‐paratyphoid vaccine, change of EEG in accordance with the temperature rise was studied from 2 or different points of view, especially from that of brain energy metabolism.

First of all, judged from the obtained frequency, amplitude, wave pattern, continuity, and regularity of the brain wave, it was concluded that the brain wave change hereby follows a definitely systematic course. With the rise increase takes place first in regularity, then in amplitude, and then in spite of further increase in amplitude both regularity and continuity gradually get lost. At this stage, decrease of frequency, which begins with the appearance of slow waves at random, finally comes to be expressed through successive appearance of dysrhythmic high voltage slow waves corresponding to fever of above 40°C at the least. Thereby, a supposition is by no means unreasonable that the mode of such changes may also differ according to the different character of the diseases in question. For, in general paresis cases only slight rise of temperature as below 40°C can effect appearance of high voltage slow waves, and in epilepsy case with characterized pathologic brain wave figure the characteristicum gets further emphasis through the drastic temperature rise.

The change of brain wave frequency in accordance with temperature change was obtained from the occipital region in 14 cases, where validity of straight line relation was proved between the log of frequency and inverse number of the absolute temperature, i. e., agreement of that relation with Arrhenius equation. Accordingly, it has been made evident that the standard value of temperature characteristics μ is to be classified in 3 orders, namely: 8000, 11009, and 16000 cal. Now, instead of being convinced of Hoagland's assertion that these values of μ are related with the degree of advancement in general paresis cases, we found in them characteristica pretty indicative of each disease. Thus it has been elucidated that the mode of brain energy metabolism at each stage of temperature rise varies in accordance to certain law, yet in case of extremely high fever there is left possibility of its transgression to other form of chemical reaction.

Tracing of the status of electrical energy in the stage of temperature riee by means of Masuyama's energy distribution equation of brain wave reveals, as Kakegawa reported, its nonconformity with the exponential distribution quotient in most cases of normal temperature—contradicting to Motokawa's and his collaborators' assertion. However, the degree of conformity increases gradually with temperature rise. In other words, while the brain, as the ruling organ, possesses uniqueness to be able to maintain the maximum level of energy consumption almost permanently,—a characteristic never to be met with in other body organs—yet this maximum level, instead of being maintained constantly, is probably reached only when the substance metabolism is accelerated through intracerebral chemical reaction due to temperature rise. Thereby it seems pretty presumable that the reverse relation of conformity in epilepsy case will be attributed to certain reactive process of another quality, not to a continuous one of the same quality.