Partial reversal of barbiturate anesthesia by dopamine antagonism: an electroencephalographic study.

The D-1 dopamine antagonist, SCH 23390, was administered to rats under barbiturate anesthesia. Recording of the power frequency spectrum of the electroencephalogram (EEG) showed that the D-1 antagonist shifted the relative power in the EEG to higher frequencies. In contrast, a relatively selective D-2 antagonist, haloperidol, administered under the same conditions, had no effect. These results suggest that SCH 23390 can partially reverse barbiturate anesthesia, and imply that central dopamine, acting at the D-1 site, might modulate this type of anesthetic.