Perception, learning, and retention of visual stimuli by monkeys with inferotemporal lesions.

Abstract

4 MONKEYS WITH ANTERIOR INFEROTEMPORAL LESIONS AND 4 UNOPERATED CONTROLS WERE TESTED FOR THEIR CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO COLOR-FORM COMPOUND STIMULI AFTER 1 TRAINING TRIAL, AND TO COLOR AND FORM COMPONENTS OF A COMPOUND STIMULUS AFTER 1, 3, OR 5 TRAINING TRIALS. THE OPERATED GROUP ATTENDED TO THE SAME STIMULUS FEATURES AS DID THE CONTROL GROUP BUT WERE IMPAIRED IN RESPONDING TO THE REWARDED COMPOUND STIMULUS. 5 TRAINING TRIALS PRODUCED LEARNING OF BOTH COLOR AND FORM CUES IN THE INFEROTEMPORAL GROUP COUPLED WITH A STRIKING RETENTION LOSS OCCURRING WITHIN 10 SEC. ANTERIOR VISUAL ASSOCIATION CORTEX IN THE MONKEY APPEARS NECESSARY FOR ASSOCIATIVE LEARNING IN THE VISUAL DOMAIN, AND IS NOT CRITICAL FOR ATTENTIONAL OR PERCEPTUAL PROCESSES. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)