Lateralisation of function in the chicken fore-brain.
There is lateralisation of function in the chicken fore-brain. This was revealed by examining the behavioural modifications produced by administration of cycloheximide into the left or right hemisphere on Day 2 of post-hatched life. Visual discrimination learning of a task requiring a search for food was found to be performed either entirely or, at least, to a greater extent by the left hemisphere. Visual habituation learning was not found to be lateralised. The left hemisphere is more involved in auditory habituation than is the right; administration of cycloheximide to the left hemisphere slowed auditory habituation, as did bilateral administration, but treatment of the right hemisphere was ineffective. There are indications that the right hemisphere plays a more important role in response to novelty. A side-preference for response to stimuli seen by the left eye was demonstrated. These results are discussed with reference to head orientation during development in the egg.
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology*; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D011287:Prejudice / Q000187:drug effects; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000187:drug effects
D003513:Cycloheximide