Learning and retention in cats with lesions in reticular formation

Abstract

Cats with lesions in the reticular formation at the level of the superior colliculus and red nucleus learned conditioned avoidance responses and visual discriminations as well as normal cats. In cats with preoperative training, the midbrain surgery had little or no effect on postoperative performance. Cats with lesions in the midline nuclei of the dorsal thalamus exhibited a postoperative loss of a previously learned visual discrimination and required more trials to relearn. All cats had normal electrocorticogram (ECG) (awake and sleep), and exhibited normal conditioned ECG potentials.