Differences of ipsilateral and contralateral visually evoked responses in the cat: Strains compared
Abstract
Studied visual evoked responses (vers) in 5 purebred siamese and 5 normally pigmented cats. Vers of monocularly illuminated siamese ss appeared predominantly on the contralateral cortex. Normally pigmented ss, when similarly illuminated, exhibited strong ipsilateral and contralateral responses. Results indicate that the siamese cat, known to possess an albinic allele, shares with nonpigmented rat and rabbit a functionally and anatomically diminished set of noncrossing optic fibers. It is suggested that reduced input by diminished ipsilateral optic fibers is a highly general transspecies phenomenon in albinic mammals, and that this anomaly contributes to disturbances in ocular movement. (27 ref.)