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Evoked responses in the chicken telencephalon to auditory, visual, and tactile stimulation

1967; Elsevier BV; Volume: 17; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0014-4886(67)90134-3

1090-2430

Norma Jean Adamo, Robert L. King,

Multisensory perception and integration

Auditory, visual and cutaneous electrical stimulations were administered to anesthetized chickens and the evoked responses to each stimulus modality was system-atically recorded from the cerebral hemispheres. Principal responses to auditory stimulation were observed predominantly from the Wulst (dorsomedial sagittal elevation of the avian forebrain). Application of 1% procaine to the surface of the Wulst either decreased or abolished the response, indicating that the Wulst has a functional anatomical role in the chicken's auditory system. Responses to photic stimulation also were recorded from the Wulst and surrounding hemispheric areas. Since topical application of 1% procaine to the cerebral hemispheres did not alter the visually evoked responses, forebrain structures responsible for these responses are thought to be in areas other than the Wulst. Cutaneous electrical stimulation was not found to produce responses from the Wulst or surrounding hemispheric areas. The characteristics of the responses obtained in birds to auditory stimulation are compared to those reported for the alligator. The differences found suggest that the avian Wulst functions differently from the reptilian “general cortex” with respect to the auditory system. The present observations in birds are interpreted to indicate that the Wulst is related to the auditory system by fiber connections which have relatively few synapses.