Background: We obtained microelectrode recordings from four patients
with intractable aggressivity who underwent surgery at posteromedial hypothalamus under general anaesthesia. We
described two general types of extracellular action potentials (EAPs):
typical/canonical and atypical. Methods: We analysed 337 units and 67
traces, which were characterized by the mean action potential (mAP). For the
first phase, depolarization and repolarization, we computed amplitudes (V,
V and V) and durations (d, d and d),
maximum and minimum values of the first derivative (dV, dV), and
amplitude and duration ratios. Results: Most of the canonical mAPs were
positive (81.1%). EAPs with atypical mean action potentials (amAPs) were
recorded in 42/337 cases. Only 35.6% of mAPs showed 2 phases. We identified the
following types: N1P1N2 (38.3%), P1N1 (35.9%), amAP (12.5%), P1P2N1 (12.2%),
N1P1 (4.7%), P1N1P2 (4.1%) and N1N2P1 (3.2%). We can define the properties of
canonical forms as those units with (i) at least two opposite phases; (ii)
and strongly related by this
function ; (iii) a
very strong relationship between dV and dV, given by the equation
, both of which
were included in the depolarization phase; (iv) related with V by the
equation ; and (v)
. However, the first phase does not pertain
to the same dynamic process responsible for depolarization and repolarization.
Conclusions: Atypical units are described here for the first time and
are true EAPs that differ strikingly from canonical forms. To date, they have
been observed only in the hypothalamus, but future research is needed to assess
their existence in other brain structures.