[Hemispheric specialization of recognition of textured images in the rat]

The ability of Wistar rats to recognize the texture-statistics of the I-st order with near threshold 10% difference between the stimuli was shown. Unilateral cortical inactivation usually impaired texture differentiation and decreased the noise resistibility of the visual recognition. The effect of the right hemisphere inactivation was more pronounced than that of the left one. Sex differences in texture recognition were revealed. The images with greater differences of statistic characteristics were better recognized by intact females and those with the lesser ones were better recognized by males. Certain level of texture recognition by the intact animals of either sex was formed with participation of facilitatory influences of both hemispheres, especially of the right one. The influences of the same type were shown in males in respect to the noise resistibility of the visual recognition, while in females the influences of the right hemisphere were facilitatory and those of the left one were inhibitory.