Sequential auditory and visual discriminations after temporal lobe ablation in monkeys

Abstract

Studies in the monkey have shown that cortex outside of the primary projection areas in the superior temporal gyrus and in the inferotemporal region is important for the execution of some auditory and visual discriminations. In this study, six monkeys were trained to perform four auditory and two visual discriminations. Retention tests were given prior to bilateral removal of the anterior part of the lateral surface of the superior temporal gyrus, the inferotemporal region, or both areas together. Superior temporal ablations elicited severe deficits on some auditory discriminations. Inferotemporal ablations caused little or no impairment on visual discriminations. This negative finding is attributed to the sequential rather than spatial mode of presentation of visual stimuli, and to overtraining. A single monkey trained on a spatial visual pattern problem without overtraining was impaired. Another monkey trained to perform an auditory reverse intensity discrimination exhibited a deficit in ability to perform the problem after removal of auditory cortex within the lateral fissure.