Biomaterial Database

Visual discrimination between spatially separated stimuli by cats with lesions of the superior colliculus-pretectum. 1975

J M Winterkorn

(1) This study was designed to test the ability of cats with lesions of the superior colliculus-pretectum to discriminate between stimuli which are widely separated in space. (2) Intact cats and cats learning or relearning after lesions of the superior colliculus-pretectum, were trained on light-dark (LD) and horizontal-vertical stripe (HV) discriminations in a V-maze, where the stimuli were widely separated in space, or in a divided straight maze, where the stimuli were side by side. (3) Two types of errors were scored: door-push errors when the cat pushed open the incorrect door; alley-entrance errors when the cat entered the incorrect alley, but turned and entered the correct alley without having pushed the incorrect door. (4) In the V-maze as well as in the straight maze, cats with lesions of the superior colliculus-pretectum achieved criterional performance by alley-entrance and door-push scoring on LD and HV discriminations. Thus, cats with lesions of the superior colliculus-pretectum can locate or orient to widely separated visual stimuli well enough to discriminate between them from a distant choicepoint. (5) Cats with lesions of the superior colliculus-pretectum generally committed a larger number and higher percentage of alley-entrance errors during learning than unoperated cats in either maze. However, commission of alley-entrance errors was not further increased in the V-maze, where the stimuli were widely separated in space. (6) All unoperated cats committed alley-entrance errors as well as door-push errors suggesting that commission of alley-entrance errors may reflect a normal process in two-choice learning.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D009434	Neural Pathways	Neural tracts connecting one part of the nervous system with another.	Neural Interconnections,Interconnection, Neural,Interconnections, Neural,Neural Interconnection,Neural Pathway,Pathway, Neural,Pathways, Neural
D010775	Photic Stimulation	Investigative technique commonly used during ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY in which a series of bright light flashes or visual patterns are used to elicit brain activity.	Stimulation, Photic,Visual Stimulation,Photic Stimulations,Stimulation, Visual,Stimulations, Photic,Stimulations, Visual,Visual Stimulations
D001931	Brain Mapping	Imaging techniques used to colocalize sites of brain functions or physiological activity with brain structures.	Brain Electrical Activity Mapping,Functional Cerebral Localization,Topographic Brain Mapping,Brain Mapping, Topographic,Functional Cerebral Localizations,Mapping, Brain,Mapping, Topographic Brain
D002415	Cats	The domestic cat, Felis catus, of the carnivore family FELIDAE, comprising over 30 different breeds. The domestic cat is descended primarily from the wild cat of Africa and extreme southwestern Asia. Though probably present in towns in Palestine as long ago as 7000 years, actual domestication occurred in Egypt about 4000 years ago. (From Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th ed, p801)	Felis catus,Felis domesticus,Domestic Cats,Felis domestica,Felis sylvestris catus,Cat,Cat, Domestic,Cats, Domestic,Domestic Cat
D002755	Choice Behavior	The act of making a selection among two or more alternatives, usually after a period of deliberation.	Approach Behavior,Approach Behaviors,Behavior, Approach,Behavior, Choice,Behaviors, Approach,Behaviors, Choice,Choice Behaviors
D004193	Discrimination Learning	Learning that is manifested in the ability to respond differentially to various stimuli.	Discriminative Learning,Discrimination Learnings,Discriminative Learnings,Learning, Discrimination,Learning, Discriminative
D005260	Female		Females
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013477	Superior Colliculi	The anterior pair of the quadrigeminal bodies which coordinate the general behavioral orienting responses to visual stimuli, such as whole-body turning, and reaching.	Colliculus, Superior,Optic Lobe, Human,Optic Lobe, Mammalian,Optic Tectum,Anterior Colliculus,Superior Colliculus,Tectum, Optic,Colliculi, Superior,Colliculus, Anterior,Human Optic Lobe,Human Optic Lobes,Mammalian Optic Lobe,Mammalian Optic Lobes,Optic Lobes, Human,Optic Lobes, Mammalian,Optic Tectums,Tectums, Optic