We designed this study to elucidate the relations between cerebral function and glucose metabolism during the early stage of ischemia. We induced focal cerebral ischemia in 28 gerbils by occluding the common carotid artery. We recorded electrocorticograms in 34 gerbils by positioning bipolar electrodes between the anterior and middle cerebral arteries. We related the electrocorticograms to local cerebral glucose utilization measured with [14C]2-deoxyglucose in half the gerbils. A characteristic pattern (a zone of markedly decreased [14C]2-deoxyglucose uptake surrounded by a narrow band of greatly increased uptake) was observed on the autoradiogram in nine of the 14 experimental gerbils (64%). An electrocorticogram recorded from such a band of increased uptake was characterized by transient suppression of electrical activity followed by partial or complete recovery, and local cerebral blood flow in gerbils showing this electrocorticographic type were variable (15.0-43.3 ml/100 g/min). An electrocorticogram recorded from the ischemic core and inner border of this band, even when [14C]2-deoxyglucose uptake was relatively high, was characterized by the complete disappearance of electrical activity just after occlusion; cerebral blood flow in gerbils that showed this electrocorticographic type were consistently less than 15.0 ml/100 g/min. Our investigation suggests that the transient disappearance of electrocorticographic activity in the periphery of ischemia, which has relatively high residual blood flow, may relate to the heterogeneity of glucose consumption during the early stage of ischemia.