Abstract
In an earlier research upon neostriatal function' the present authors observed that “It is difficult to escape the suspicion that animals (cats) with neostriatal injuries suffer from some variety of vestibular disturbance”; the literature relating to this observation was reviewed and it was noticed that Bergouignan and Verger' found that the ipsilateral circus movement (dogs) produced by unilateral caudate lesion was accentuated by rotation to the same side while rotation to the opposite side gave no circus movement. Cocainization of the labyrinth of either side always produced an accentuation of the original circus movement, never one toward the opposite side. 2
In the further work of Bergouignan and Verger there is, so far as we are aware, no conclusive evidence to indicate whether these results are due to disregard of the labyrinth of the same side or over-emphasis of labyrinthine stimuli from the opposite side 3 In order to arrive at some information on this point a series of animals were prepared in which (1) both frontal regions exclusive of the caudate nuclei were removed; (2) both frontal regions inclusive of the heads Qf the caudate nucl'ei were ablated, and (3) complete, bilateral, labyrinthine destruction had been carried out.
Rotation of animals of the first or second group produced effects of the same type as those seen in normal animals though there was less obvious distress exhibited by either type of operated animal during rotation than was displayed by normal cats. Further, although no part of the usual post-rotation symptomatology was absent or perverted, this did not persist so long in the operated as unoperated animals. These differences cannot be explained upon the basis of postoperative weakness, for the operated cats were in good health and had attained a stable state.
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