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Development of the extrinsic connections of the visual cortex in the cat
Author(s) -
Anker Robyn L.,
Cragg Brian G.
Publication year - 1974
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.901540103
Subject(s) - gyrus , corpus callosum , visual cortex , geniculate , anatomy , superior colliculus , biology , lateral geniculate nucleus , cortex (anatomy) , degeneration (medical) , thalamus , neuroscience , pathology , medicine , nucleus
Lesions were made in the visual system in a series of kittens, and fiber degeneration stained by the Eager or Fink‐Heimer methods. Stereotaxic lesions made in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) in one day old kittens led to the appearance of finely dotted fiber degenerationn in area 17 (concentrated in layer IV) two days later. Thalamic lesions involving the LGN in older kittens caused fiber degeneration in the other visual areas. This was first seen in the lateral suprasylvian gyrus (SSG) at six days, in area 19 at 14 days, and in area 18 at 21 days. Lesions of visual cortex affecting areas 17 and 18 caused degeneration of descending connections to the LGN, lateralis posterior and superior colliculus when made in kittens one day old. However, ipsilateral cortical connections to area 19 were not seen until the kittens were 19 days old at operation, and connections to the suprasylvian gyrus appeared at 21 days. Contralateral cortical connections carried by the corpus callosum were not seen until the kittens were 26 days old at operation, and a distribution of degeneration comparable with that seen in adults was present at 40 days. This time sequence of development is discussed in relation to what is known about the time of development of functioning in the cat's visual system.