The projection of the lateral geniculate nucleus upon the cortex in the cat

Abstract

The retrograde cell degeneration in the lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat has been studied after lesions of the visual and adjoining areas of the cortex. Following lesions which are limited to area 17, the medium and small cells of the main laminae of the nucleus degenerate; damage restricted to area 18 does not result in any localized, severe degeneration, but combined destruction of areas 17 and 18 causes all the cells-large, medium and small-of the main laminae and the central interlaminar nucleus to degenerate. Cellular change in the medial interlaminar nucleus is only found after involvement of area 19. When the cortex of the middle suprasylvian gyrus is removed in addition to these areas the degeneration in the lateral geniculate nucleus is much more severe, and there is loss of the laminar pattern due to severe gliosis in the central interlaminar nucleus. There is a well-defined topical organization in the geniculo-cortical projection, and in the antero-posterior dimension it is the same to all areas of the visual cortex, anterior parts of the nucleus projecting anteriorly and posterior parts posteriorly. Medial parts of the main laminae are related to the lateral part of area 17 and to the medial part of area 18, and lateral parts of the laminae project to the medial part of area 17 and to the lateral part of area 18. After partial lesions which involve both areas 17 and 18 the cellular degeneration affects the laminae differentially along their antero-posterior extent, that in lamina A being the most anterior and that in lamina B the most posterior; in sagittal sections such a band, or column, of degeneration passes from antero-superior to postero-inferior at right angles to the plane of the laminae.