Role of Primary Sensory Cortex in Generalized Electrocortical Activation

¹ From the Laboratory of the Department of Neurological Surgery, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York City

Experiments were performed on intact unanesthetized-succinylcholine paralyzed cats in order to compare the effects of ablations of primary cortical regions on the ability to evoke generalized activation to specific sensory stimulation with those obtained by Bremer on encéphale isolé preparations. Bilateral destruction of the auditory or somatic sensory cortex in intact preparations does not block generalized activation to auditory or sciatic stimulation. It is concluded that in the presence of spinal afferent activity as exists in the intact preparation corticifugal influences arising in either the auditory or somatic sensory cortex are not necessary for the activation process that follows auditory or sciatic stimulation.