[Ontogenesis of the asymmetry of transcallosal responses in the cat parietal cortex]

In acute experiments on 2-24 days old immobilized kittens and adult cats, studies have been made on the development of functional interhemispheric asymmetry of homotopical transcallosal responses in the parietal cortex. It was found that the number of animals with evident asymmetry increases with age. Alongside, with respect to such characters as asymmetry coefficient, mean amplitude of components of transcallosal components and the ratio of zones of direct and inverse domination, the increase in functional interhemispheric asymmetry was observed during the second week of postnatal life of kittens, which was accompanied by the inversion of its sign; in adult cats, the decrease in the asymmetry up to its complete absence was found. The data obtained are discussed with respect to peculiarities of the development and functional properties of the associative parietal cortex in cats.