title: Is neuronal encoding of subject-object distance dependent on learning?
abstract: Recordings were made in the intermediate and medial part of the hyperstriatum ventrale of behaving domestic chicks which had been imprinted (trained) by being exposed to a training stimulus. Neurons were tested for responsiveness to the training stimulus and to an alternative stimulus at each of three distances (d = 0.5 m, 1 m, 2 m) from the chick. For responses to the training stimulus 24/78 (31%) responsive neurons were d-sensitive, i.e. responses changed with distance. For responses to the alternative stimulus, a similar proportion of neurons was d-sensitive (16/57, 28%). Six d-invariant neurons responded similarly at each distance: four to the training and two to the alternative stimulus. Thus no effect of learning on d-sensitive or d-invariant neuronal responsiveness was found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Cambridge University, Madingley, UK.
authors.forename: A U
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Nicol
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Horn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology*; D004215:Distance Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008839:Microelectrodes; D009043:Motor Activity; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*