PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

F F Ebner

Publications and source records attributed to F F Ebner.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Connections of the visual cortex in the hedgehog (Paraechinus hypomelas). II. Corticocortical projections.

Cortical subdivisions based on cytoarchitectural and myeloarchitectural observations of normal tissue were correlated with the topography of corticocortical connections in the visual system of the Pakistani hedgehog. Large subpial aspiration lesions were made in both visual and non-visual cortical regions to determine the areal limits of the corticocortical connections of the visual cortex. Subsequently, discrete electrolytic lesions were placed within the visual cortex. After appropriate survival periods, the brains were processed and stained with the Fink-Heimer technique. The results of these studies show that the visual cortex may be subdivided into four distinct regions from lateral to medial; the lateral parastriate cortex, the lateral and medial part of striate cortex, and the medial parastriate cortex. Within these regions, interhemispheric connections between visual cortices arise mainly in the lateral striate and lateral parastriate regions and terminate in a single band within the lateral portion of the cytoarchitecturally defined striate cortex. These corticocortical projections, therefore, substantially overlap with the geniculostriate projections. Lateral striate cortex and lateral parastriate cortex project in a reciprocal fashion that correlates well with the physiologically defined mirror image representation of two retinotopic maps of the binocular visual field on cortex. These connections are reflected about a line that is closely correlated with the medial edge of the band of commissural axon terminals that is located within the lateral striate cortex, instead of corresponding exactly with the striate-parastriate border as they do in other mammals. Medial striate cortex projects to medial parastriate cortex, indicating that the monocular portion of V I is related to a separate secondary area of cortex on the medial wall of the hemisphere.

Animals↗

Interlaminar connections of the visual cortex in the hedgehog (Paraechinus hypomelas).

The contribution of each cortical lamina to intracortical circuitry was studied in the visual neocortex of the Pakistani hedgehog. Punctate laminar lesions were made electrolytically within the visual cortex, and after five to seven days the brains were processed and stained with the Fink-Heimer technique. The results of this study suggest that both horizontal and vertical connections are important to the organization of visual cortex in the hedgehog. The horizontal projections originate at three distinct cortical depths. Lesions in layer II reveal projections that traverse the inner one-half of layer I; lesions in layers III and IV reveal projections that traverse layer IV and that enter the cortical white matter; lesions in layers V and VI reveal projections that traverse the outer one-half of layer VI and that enter the cortical white matter. The vertical projections are oriented perpendicular to the pial surface. Layers II and III project to underlying layer V. Layers V and VI in turn contribute to a reciprocal projection back to all superficial cortical laminae. This anatomical data about intracortical circuitry is discussed with reference to the functional organization of visual cortex.

Animals↗

Localization of function in corpus callosum: tactual information transmission in Macaca mulatta.

Different portions of the corpus callosum were transected in 28 juvenile rhesus monkeys. These animals were then taught a tactual roughness discrimination task while using their right hands and tested for transfer of training while using their left. Animals with some part of the posterior body region of the corpus callosum preserved exhibited intermediate or high levels of transfer of training. Animals with other portions of the commissures preserved, including the splenium, the anterior body, the genu, and/or the anterior commissure but with the posterior body region transected generally failed to show such transfer. It is concluded that tactual information is transmitted between the hemispheres through the posterior body region of the corpus callosum.

Animals↗

Synaptic patterns in the visual cortex of turtle: an electron microscopic study.

The part of turtle general cortex that receives afferent fibers from the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus and that shows evoked potentials to light stimuli has been studied with the electron microscope. This cortex consists of an outer molecular layer, a perikaryal layer, and a subcellular layer lying on a row of ependymal cell bodies. Neurons in the perikaral lamina are characterized by long spine-bearing apical dendrites ascending through the outer molecular layer and short finer basal dendrites in the subcellular zone. Scattered neurons without apical dendrites occur in both the molecular and subcellular zones. Two types of dendritic spines can be distinguished. Some are large, have a complex irregular shape, contain a variety of membranous sacs and mitochondria, and occasionally, a single bundle of microtubules embedded in an electron-dense background [corrected] opacity. These large spines are the most common postsynaptic element in the outer third of the molecular layer, where they are located on the distal enlargement that contains only electron-dense fuzz. They are the most common post-synaptic element in the lower two-thirds of the molecular layer where they arise from the proximal portion of apical dendrites. Most synaptic contacts are found on the dendritic spines and are of the "round-asymmetrical" type. Not infrequently "flat-symmetrical" synapses are coupled to "round-asymmetrical" contacts on individual large spines. The few contacts present on spine-bearing dendritic shafts are of both types. Axo-somatic contacts are mainly of the "flat-symmetrical" variety. Thus the synaptic patterns on the principal cells of turtle visual cortex are remarkably similar to those found on pyramidal cells of mammalian neocortex. In addition, however, axon terminals, dendrites and glial (ependymal) processes were often seen to give rise to membranous pouches containing large vacuoles and invaginating into dendritic shafts or spines. Rarely, axon terminals were seen to form contacts, identical in appearance to synaptic contacts, on cell bodies in the ependymal lining. More frequently, unusual types of membrane differentiations were present at the site of apposition of the membranes of axon terminals and ependymal processes. They are interpreted as functional neuroependymal contacts.

Animals↗