Single-unit responses to natural objects in area 19 of cats with different early visual experiences

Cats deprived of pattern vision with hoods and normal cats were used. During the first 3 months of life some hood-reared cats had visual experience with a three-dimensional cross or a ping-pong ball. Recording were performed in adult cats with a pretrigeminal brainstem transection. Unit responses to the cross and the ball were recorded in area 19 within the projection of area centralis. Stimulus-dominance of the exposed object was manifested weakly. Both exposed and control objects activated more units in the experienced hood-reared cats than in hood-reared and normal controls. Compared with previous finding, the present results indicated that early visual experience affects area 19 differently than areas 17 and 18.