The role of dorsal columns in serial order acts.

Abstract The ability to perform a highly integrated serial act was examined in cats with section of the dorsal columns and compared with sham-operated animals. The serial act involved accurate timing of a jump to encounter a target (piece of liver) on a rotating wheel, precise forelimb projection to release the target, visual tracking of the object in space during the jump, proper landing, and localization of the released liver on the floor within a prescribed period of time. The cats with lesions had difficulty in the proper initiation of the act and displayed a significantly lower efficiency and obvious inaccuracy in releasing the target. Further, the ability to visually follow the released object in space during the jump was impaired, a fact that hampered localization of that object on the floor after landing. This supports the belief, based on evolutionary and anatomophysiological considerations, that the dorsal columns convey elements of information necessary for the planning and execution of serial order acts.

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