Effects of auditory cortex ablation on ability to discriminate between stimuli presented to the two ears.

Abstract

Cats were given large bilateral lesions of auditory cortex after training (a) to cross the barrier in a double-grill box when a train of clicks was switched from left to right ear, and (b) to cross when silence was broken by clicks to right ear and refrain from crossing when silence was broken by clicks to left ear. The ablations produced transient amnesia on task (a), detection, and long lasting impairment on (b), identification. The deficit in identification cannot be attributed to generalized inability to inhibit responses. Different cognitive or perceptual requirements of the tasks provide some insight into effects of auditory cortex ablation. The deficit is unrelated to removal of large amounts of neocortex irrespective of locus.