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Abstract
Response to sensory stimulation was studied in 162 neurons in the pulvinar of Cebus
monkeys in 4 acute and 5 chronic preparations. Two basic response patterns were observed:
type I responses, similar to those obtained in primary relay centers, were only observed
after visual stimulation. Type II responses were obtained after stimulation of more
than one sensory modality. Characteristically these responses presented fatigue and
habituation. Temporal relationship between stimulus and response was not as clear
as in type I responses, afterdischarge frequently occurred. Taking these response
types into consideration two groups of units were identified in the pulvinar. Units
of group A (91 neurons) showed type I response to visual stimulation. For these units
receptive fields similar to those found in other regions of visual projection could
be defined. As a rule units of group A displayed type II responses to other sensory
modalities. Units of group B (71) did not display type I responses; they always responded
to visual, somatic, auditory and olfactory stimuli with type II responses. They could
be activated by a single sensory modality (B, unimodal) or by more than one sensory
modality (B, multimodal).