Transneuronal retrograde degeneration in the cat retina following neonatal ablation of visual cortex

Bilateral removal of the cortical visual area in newborn cats produces degeneration of retinal ganglion cells. Measurements of over 4,000 cells and calculation of neuron densities from sample areas of retina in the adult show that the medium sized cell population in peripheral retina is reduced by 68%, whereas the populations of small and large cells are not affected. The degeneration is greater in peripheral retina than in area centralis.