Further studies on the aberrant crossed visual corticotectal pathway in rats

Summary An aberrant crossed corticotectal pathway can be generated by removal of one visual cortex and the contralateral superior colliculus from newborn rats. This aberrant crossed corticotectal projection arises from the pyramidal neurons located in layer V of the visual cortex and terminates in a spatially orderly manner in the appropriate laminae of the cortically deafferented contralateral colliculus. Comparable results cannot be reproduced by unilateral collicular lesions alone. The significance of these findings and the possible mechanisms involved in the formation of the aberrant pathway are discussed and compared with the retinotectal system.The research was supported by USPHS Grant EY-00596 from the National Institutes of Health