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Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential Interwave Intervals Are Prolonged in Vitamin B-6-Deficient Cats¹

Paul S. Buckmaster^*,,2, Terrell A. Holliday^*, Sungchul C. Bai^,3 and Quinton R. Rogers

^* Departments of Surgery and Physiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616

Vitamin B-6 deficiency has been reported to produce behavioral, neurophysiological and neuropathological abnormalities in a variety of species. In this investigation we used brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) to determine if vitamin B-6 deficiency in cats affected peripheral and brainstem auditory pathways. Brainstem auditory evoked potentials were recorded from growing cats as they developed vitamin B-6 deficiency, which was confirmed using clinical, hematological and urinary criteria. The BAEP interwave intervals measured from early (wave 1 or 1_N) to late waves (5_N) or from middle (wave 3) to late waves increased significantly, whereas interwave intervals from early to middle waves did not differ significantly. These results indicate that vitamin B-6 deficiency affects one or more structures of the brainstem that generate the later parts of the BAEP. The finding of prolonged interwave intervals in vitamin B-6-deficient animals is consistent with slowed axonal conduction velocity secondary to defective myelination. Recording BAEP provided a noninvasive means of detecting effects of vitamin B-6 deficiency on specific parts of the central nervous system.

KEY WORDS: • vitamin B-6 deficiency • development • brainstem auditory evoked potentials • cats

¹ Supported in part by a grant from the Dr. Vicky Krade Memorial Fellowship.

² To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, SJ-40, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195.

³ Current address: Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Science, Room 210, Nagle Hall, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2258.

Manuscript received 30 July 1992. Revision accepted 16 September 1992.