[Disruption of elaborated motor coordination after destruction of the parietal and premotor association areas of the dog]

Abstract

In experiments on seven dogs with a previously elaborated complex food-procuring reflex consisting of two instrumental movements, isolated damage of the parietal and premotor cortical areas deteriorated the achievement of exact movement--lifting and holding of the foreleg at the set level for a certain period of time. A second movement of lifting and holding the leg, similar to the first one, but with simultaneous lowering of the head during eating (altered inborn coordination) remained unaffected through the holding of the leg was also less stable. Successive damage of the parietal and premotor areas, worsening, but not significantly, the exact movement carried out in the natural posture, led to decomposition of the elaborated motor coordination revealed earlier (M. E. Ioffe, 1975) in case of the sensorimotor area damage. The role of the associative cortical areas in organization of elaborated coordination program is discussed.