Brain electrolytes and cortical impedance

¹ Kerckhoff Laboratories of the Biological Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California

A 50% glucose solution was administered intravenously to rabbits at a rate of about 1 cc/min until death of the preparation. An analysis of the brain showed that besides water the tissue had lost a considerable amount of its chloride and sodium (20–25%). The amount of potassium in the brain remained practically constant. The cortical impedance increased markedly during the glucose infusion. These findings support the thesis that the compartment of the tissue containing the bulk of the chloride and sodium ions has a special significance for the cortical impedance.