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The hyperstriatal region of the avian forebrain: A lesion study of possible functions, including its role in cardiac and respiratory conditioning
Author(s) -
Cohen David H.
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
journal of comparative neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 209
eISSN - 1096-9861
pISSN - 0021-9967
DOI - 10.1002/cne.901310411
Subject(s) - forebrain , biology , lesion , respiratory system , conditioning , extinction (optical mineralogy) , reflex , neuroscience , physiology , psychology , central nervous system , anatomy , paleontology , statistics , mathematics , psychiatry
The behavior of 12 pigeons with hyperstriatal lesions (10 bilateral and 2 unilateral) was compared with that of 13 control birds. Neurological examination indicated no striking postural deficits, and all reflexes investigated were normal. However, lesions did reduce escape behavior, spontaneous flight, and responsiveness to exteroceptive stimuli. Avariety of vegetative functions including body temperature, food and water intake, and cardiac and respiratory rate were unaffected. Defensive conditioning, differentiation and extinction performance were also assessed. Birds with lesions showed no impairment of cardiac conditioning, but respiratory conditioning was slower than in control animals. Both cardiac and respiratory differentiation were weak, respiratory differentiation being more severely affected than cardiac differentiation. Neither group of birds showed extinction. Evidence for hpyerstriatal participation in visual function is reivewed, and it is proposed that an important role of the hyperstriatum is mediation of certain somatic responses to visual stimuli and that deficits following ablation may be secondary to impairment of visual orienting responses.