Evidence regarding the integrity of the posterior medial lateral suprasylvian visual area in the cat.

Among the areas of lateral suprasylvian visual cortex in cats defined by Palmer et al. (J Comp Neurol [1978] 177:237-256), PMLS (posterior lateral suprasylvian area) has been the most studied. Although PMLS has strong and well-documented connections with area 17, it is unclear whether these connections extend to its upper visual field representation.

A novel system for recording from single neurons in unrestrained animals.

To observe neural activity in animals engaged in natural behavior, it is often desirable to minimize or eliminate restraint of the animal. We have developed a simple system for recording from single units in unrestrained cats. An implant with multiple guide tubes and a tiny microdrive is placed inside the recording chamber.

Lewis A. Sayre: the first Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery in America.

Lewis Albert Sayre (1820-1900) is considered to be among the founding fathers of orthopaedic surgery in the United States. He studied medicine at the College of Physicians and Surgeons (now of Columbia University). Sayre later helped establish the first academic department of orthopaedics at the Bellevue Medical College where he served as their first Professor of Orthopaedics.

Accurate visual guidance despite severe neglect.

Unilateral inactivation of the superior colliculus causes profound neglect. In cats, this neglect has been studied previously using tasks that require gaze orientation to, or detection of, a stimulus appearing somewhere in the visual field of an attentive animal. We investigated how neglect affects a completely different kind of task, visually guided foot placement while walking across a cluttered surface.

Congenital and developmental deformities of the spine in children with myelomeningocele.

The treatment of spinal deformities in children with myelomeningocele poses a formidable task. Multiple medical comorbidities, such as insensate skin and chronic urinary tract infection, make care of the spine difficult. A thorough understanding of the natural history of these deformities is mandatory for appropriate treatment to be rendered.

The use of visual information for planning accurate steps in a cluttered environment.

When an observer walks across irregular terrain, he uses vision to plan his steps. How far in advance of each step does he acquire the critical information? We trained cats to walk accurately down a cluttered alley, and then turned out the light in mid-trial. Cats usually continued to walk without error for one to four steps, indicating that they had acquired the information to guide each step well before foot contact.