Conditioned reflex changes in relations between afferent inputs from the lateral geniculate body and pulvinar in the cat visual and association cortex.

Abstract

1. An alimentary instrumental conditioned reflex to electrical stimulation of the lateral geniculate body and pulvinar (LGB and P) can be formed, extinguished, and restored irrespective of whether the LGB + P or P + LGB combinations of stimuli is used. 2. If LGB is stimulated 40 msec beforehand, facilitation of the response in VC and AC to testing stimulation of P, observed in untrained cats, is inhibited when the reflex to stimulation of LGB + P is consolidated; moreover, a considerable increase in amplitude of the response to conditioning stimulation of LGB, takes place. 3. If P is stimulated 40 msec before LGB during conditioning to stimulation by the P + LGB combination, in the middle of training facilitation of the response to testing stimulation of LGB is observed in both VC and AC, with a simultaneous increase in amplitude of the response to conditioning stimulation of P, although these changes are not found when the reflex is consolidated. 4. During perception of a monomodal complex conditioned stimulus relations between individual cortical inputs are modified within the same analyzer.