Abstract

The behavioral, anatomical, and electrophysiological effects of posterior parietal cortex lesions (Krieg's area 7) were compared in rats with removals at 1, 5, or 10 days of age or in adulthood. Behaviorally, the animals were administered several tests including grooming, beam walking, swimming, the Morris water task and a radial arm maze. Lesions at 10 days of age permitted behavioral sparing on most behavioral tasks, whereas lesions at 1 or 5 days of age allowed little sparing and even produced larger deficits than observed in adult operates on some tasks. Anatomical measures showed a direct relationship between cortical thickness and age of lesion: the earlier the lesion, the thinner the cortex. An analysis of postsurgical changes in cortical thickness showed only a small reduction in cortical thickness shortly after the lesions, with the major reduction occurring during adolescence. Electrophysiological recordings of cortical activity showed that rats with 1-day lesions had abnormal neocortical atropine-resistant activity and had an increased incidence of seizures. The results suggest that the neocortex of the rat may be particularly sensitive to perinatal injury.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.