Interanalyzer two-way neuronal connections during alimentary conditioning in cats

Abstract

Milk conditioned reflexes to low frequency electrostimulation of optic tracts was examined in four cats. Multineuronal activity from visual and sensorimotor cortical regions was recorded under conditions of chronic implantation. Intra- and interanalyzer interneuronal connections were statistically analyzed by constructing crosscorrelograms. The comparison of the results of interneuronal interaction in untrained and trained animals showed an increase of one-way and two-way connections both of intra- and interanalyzer types. Neurons characterized by intermediate amplitude spike, more than other neurons, changed their network properties and were enriched by incoming and outgoing connections in both visual and sensorimotor cortex of the trained animals. An increase in the total number of interneuronal connections after acquisition was due to an increase of connections from the sensorimotor to the visual analyzer.