Abstract
Recovery of the circadian rhythm of locomotor activity after bilateral section of the optic tracts (OT) of the cockroachLeucophaea maderae was investigated. After OT section rhythmicity consistently reappeared in 3–5 weeks (29±6.2 days,n=22) (Fig. 1), while removal of the optic lobes caused permanent (> 100 days) arrythmicity (n= 13) (Fig. 2A). Recovery of rhythmicity after OT section was likely due to regeneration since:(1) Histological examination showed structural regeneration had occurred (Fig. 3A). (2) Insertion of a glass barrier between the OL and midbrain prevented (> 75 days,n=6) or slowed (46±14.9 days,n=3) rhythm recovery (Fig. 2B). (3) Extracellular recording after optic tract section showed recovery of light evoked activity in the cervical connectives (Fig. 4) whose time course paralleled the recovery of behavioral rhythmicity (Fig. 5).
Published Version
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