Electrophysiological mapping methods were employed to systematically study the retinotopic organization within the cat's lateral posterior complex (LP). Visual responses were recorded in all the major subdivisions of the LP as well as in several adjoining cell groups. Specifically, separate representations of the visual field were identified for pulvinar, zones LP1-c, LP1-r, LPi, and LPm. Partial representations of the visual field were also evident in the geniculate wing, subdivisions of the lateral posterior shell, the inferior division of the posterior nuclear group, the suprageniculate nucleus, and the central lateral nucleus. Sufficient mapping observations were made to define the internal organization of major visual representations. Additionally, there was a very close correspondence between the mapping observations when they were compared with the cytoarchitectural criteria for recognizing functional cell groups (Updyke: J. Comp. Neurol. 219:143-181, '83).

The cytoarchitecture of the pretectal complex of the squirrel monkey was examined in Nissl- and myelin-stained sections in the coronal, horizontal, and sagittal plane. Five different pretectal subdivisions can be identified on the basis of their nuclear morphology. The general location and cytoarchitecture of these pretectal nuclei are similar to those described for non-primate mammals. Thus, the nomenclature used to designate the pretectal nuclei in other species can now be applied to the squirrel monkey. According to this standard terminology, the pretectal complex of the squirrel monkey consists of the nucleus of the optic tract; the pretectal olivary nucleus; and the medial, anterior, and posterior pretectal nuclei. The pattern of retinal innervation to the pretectum was also determined by placing intraocular injections of 3H-proline into one eye and processing the tissue according to standard autoradiographic techniques. The pattern of transported label is more dense over the contralateral nuclei than over the ipsilateral nuclei. In particular, dense transported label is observed bilaterally over the pretectal olivary nucleus and the nucleus of the optic tract with sparse label over the posterior and medial pretectal nuclei.

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Inflammation of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) can alter behavioral responses such as food intake and mobilize stress hormones. The hypothesis of this study was that food intake and diurnal corticosterone analysis can be used as indicators of adjuvant-induced TMJ inflammation. Groups of rats received adjuvant or no injections at the beginning of the resting (AM) or activity (PM) phase. Forty-eight hours (early) or 6 weeks (late) after adjuvant injection, plasma corticosterone was assayed and food intake was recorded. Food intake was suppressed up to 4 days post-injection. As expected, the non-injected group showed low AM and high PM corticosterone. AM corticosterone was elevated, but PM corticosterone was attenuated in both early- and late-stage-injected rats. A computerized pair-fed experiment showed that adjuvant-induced hypophagia did not alter corticosterone levels. Meal pattern analysis revealed decreased food intake due to a decrease in the number of meals taken. Notably, meal size remained the same but meal duration increased. This model demonstrated that food intake and stress hormone analysis could be used as indicators for sequelae of adjuvant-induced TMJ inflammation.