Slow cortical potentials (SCP) recorded at different sites of the motor and sensory cortex during avoidance conditioning in the rabbit

Abstract

Data concerning the evolution of SCP in the rabbit cortex during learning are presented. Unpolarizable electrodes were implanted in nine Ss at different sites of motor and somato-sensory cortex. These animals were trained in a visual avoidance situation. In three of them, sampling and averaging of EEG responses were carried out on line with a LINC computer. The question posed was whether SCP originated at the specific motor cortex locus. For this hypothesis to be true, SCP amplitude and persistence should be higher at the specific motor site than at control motor locus. Evidence to support this hypothesis, under the experimental situation described, was not obtained. The negative results could be interpreted as due to the relatively poor representation of the motor response involved and to the characteristics of the response (symmetrical). Although the role of motor cortex specifically connected with the movement selected as CR was not demonstrated, evidences are presented which suggest two components of SCP, one related to the learned movement. The present work confirmed a significant correlation between electrical and behavioral responses during the acquisition period.