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Functional role of regrowing pyramidal tract fibers
Author(s) -
Reh Thomas,
Kalil Katherine
Publication year - 1982
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.902110306
Subject(s) - pyramidal tracts , biology , neuroscience , lesion , medulla , spinal cord , anatomy , hamster , medullary cavity , pyramidal cell , pathology , endocrinology , hippocampus , medicine
When pyramidal tract axons are severed in the infant hamster, the damaged fiber? regrow via a new pathway to their normal terminal sites in the medulla and spinal cord and there form synaptic connections (Kalil and Reh, ′79, ′82). We studied the behavior of animals with infant and adult lesions of the medullary pyramid to determine the functional significance of the new pathway in maintaining normal motor behavior. Examination of behaviors normally mediated by the pyramidal tract, particularly the manipulation of sunflower seeds during feeding, revealed a correlation between the presence of the new tract and the preservation of function. Furthermore, in the adult animal with an infant lesion, the spared behaviors were lost when the new pathway was destroyed.