Deficits of visual motion perception and optokinetic nystagmus after
posterior suprasylvian lesions in the ferret (Mustela putorius furo)
D. Hupfeld, C. Distler & Hoffmann K-P
Exp. Brain Res. 182: 509-523, 2007
- We recently described an area in the ferret posterior suprasylvian (PSS) cortex characterized by a high proportion
of direction selective neurons. To answer the question whether area PSS subserves functions similar to cat posteromediolateral
suprasylvian area (PMLS) and monkey medial temporal area (MT) we investigated the contribution of area PSS to visual
motion perception and optokinetic nystagmus. Ferrets were tested on global motion detection before and after bilateral
lesions involving area PSS and control lesions of other extrastriate visual areas. Following PSS lesions motion
coherence thresholds were significantly increased both in pigmented and albino ferrets, whereas control lesions
sparing PSS did not affect visual motion perception. Optokinetic nystagmus was strongly reduced to absent after
PSS lesions. These results indicate that area PSS is crucial for global motion processing in the ferret and in
that sense may be functionally equivalent to PMLS in the cat and area MT in the monkey.
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