Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Spatial contrast sensitivity changes after subcortical visual system lesions in the rat.

C R Legg, S Turkish

    Behavioural Brain Research
    |February 1, 1983
    PubMed
    Summary

    Brain lesions in rats reveal how different visual pathways impact spatial contrast sensitivity. Lesions in the pretectum and thalamus selectively impair vision at specific spatial frequencies, affecting visual perception.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Is there a visual deficit in dyslexia resulting from a lesion of the right posterior parietal lobe?

    Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)·1995
    Same author

    Cerebellar connections of the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus in the rat.

    Anatomy and embryology·1992
    Same author

    Distance estimation in the hooded rat: experimental evidence for the role of motion cues.

    Behavioural brain research·1990
    Same author

    Basal ganglia and cerebellum receive different somatosensory information in rats.

    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·1990
    Same author

    Corticopontine projection in the rat: the distribution of labelled cortical cells after large injections of horseradish peroxidase in the pontine nuclei.

    The Journal of comparative neurology·1989
    Same author

    Renin in the control of drinking behaviour in the earliest stages of renal hypertension in the rat.

    Acta physiologica Polonica·1989

    Area of Science:

    • Neuroscience
    • Visual System Research
    • Animal Models in Vision Science

    Background:

    • The visual system relies on complex neural pathways for processing spatial information.
    • Understanding the role of specific brain structures, such as the pretectum and thalamus, is crucial for deciphering visual perception.
    • Previous studies have linked lesions in these areas to deficits in visual discrimination learning.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the effects of specific brain lesions on spatial contrast sensitivity functions in hooded rats.
    • To determine how damage to the pretectum (PRT), rostral pretectum and medial thalamus (PRT +), posterior thalamus (PT), and ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (LGv) alters visual processing.
    • To correlate these findings with known impairments in discrimination learning.

    Main Methods:

    Related Experiment Videos

    • Hooded rats underwent surgical lesions targeting distinct visual processing areas: PRT, PRT +, PT, and LGv.
    • Spatial contrast sensitivity functions were measured in the lesioned rats.
    • Sensitivity was assessed across a range of spatial frequencies.

    Main Results:

    • PRT and PRT + lesions reduced sensitivity at both high and low spatial frequencies, with a more pronounced high-frequency deficit in the PRT + group.
    • PT lesions specifically impaired sensitivity to higher spatial frequencies (≥0.45 cycles/deg) without affecting low frequencies.
    • LGv lesions caused sensitivity reductions across both high and low spatial frequencies.

    Conclusions:

    • Different subregions of the visual thalamus and pretectum differentially contribute to spatial contrast processing.
    • The observed deficits in spatial contrast sensitivity align with previously reported difficulties in visual discrimination learning after similar lesions.
    • These findings elucidate the functional roles of specific neural pathways in mediating visual perception and learning.