Specialization of motor cortex neurons in rabbits under normal conditions and after ablation of the visual cortex

The activity of motor cortex neurons in instrumental food-acquisition behavior is compared in two control rabbits and in three rabbits after bilateral ablation of the visual cortex. Although the same types of neuron specialization were found in the experimental and control animals, their numerical ratio differed markedly in two out of the three experimental rabbits in comparison with the controls: the number of neurons activated in the act of seizing food was halved, while the number of neurons activated in connection with acts of instrumental behavior doubled. The similarity of the processes underlying behavior learning and recovery is discussed.