Single-unit responses to natural objects in area 19 of cats with different early visual experiences

Abstract

Cats deprived of pattern vision with hoods and normal cats were used. During the first 3 months of life some hood-reared cats had visual experience with a three-dimensional cross or a ping-pong ball. Recording were performed in adult cats with a pretrigeminal brainstem transection. Unit responses to the cross and the ball were recorded in area 19 within the projection of area centralis. Stimulus-dominance of the exposed object was manifested weakly. Both exposed and control objects activated more units in the experienced hood-reared cats than in hood-reared and normal controls. Compared with previous finding, the present results indicated that early visual experience affects area 19 differently than areas 17 and 18.