The lateral pedunculo-nigral area and visually guided behavior

Abstract Occipitoreticular fibers have been observed to pass through the lateral pedunculo-nigral area (LPNA). To test whether this fiber system plays a differential role in visually guided behavior, rats trained on both a visual discrimination and an equally difficult nonvisual discrimination sustained lesions to the LPNA and were subsequently tested for retention. While all LPNA-damaged rats relearned the nonvisual problem, most were unable to relearn the visual problem. Occipitopontine fibers, which also pass through the LPNA, do not appear to be significant for visual discrimination performance.

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