Villablanca J R, Olmstead C E
Dev Psychobiol. 1979 Mar;12(2):101-27. doi: 10.1002/dev.420120204.
The neurological development of the kitten was studied from birth to 120 days of age. Three motor features present at birth disappeared within the 1st 45 days of life. The labyrinthine head and body righting reactions were present at birth; the latter matured only by 25 days of age when the air righting reaction (mature by 35 days) started to appear. Limb placing reactions developed progressively with proprioceptive components being present at birth whereas tactile components evolved slowly from early contact lifting to forepaws contact placing (60 days) and narrow plank walking (75 days). Standing and walking were well developed by 45 days. Eye opening occurred at 9.5 days and several eyeblink reactions (including blink to light) were present at birth. Adequate binocular coordination was seen by 47 days. Vision progressed parallel to the clearing of the ocular media which were fairly transparent by 32 days. Visually guided paw placing and the visuopalpebral blink reflex matured later (by 37 and 59 days, respectively). The external auditory canal and pinna were fully developed by 12 and 31 days, respectively; spontaneous and tactile pinna movements were present at birth; orienting to animal and nonanimal sounds was well developed by 6.5 and 18 days, respectively; spatial sound localization was developed by 16 days and differential responding to animal sounds matured by 24.5 days. Somatic responses and olfaction were present at birth but matured further thereafter. Playful interactions between kittens started by 10--15 days and well developed play behavior was seen by 36--40 days. In brief, all neurological functions mature progressively during the 1st 3 postnatal months.
对小猫从出生到120日龄的神经发育情况进行了研究。出生时出现的三种运动特征在出生后的前45天内消失。出生时存在迷路性头部和身体翻正反应；后者直到25日龄才成熟，此时空中翻正反应（35日龄成熟）开始出现。肢体放置反应逐渐发展，出生时就有本体感受成分，而触觉成分则从早期的接触抬起逐渐发展到前爪接触放置（60日龄）和窄木板行走（75日龄）。45日龄时站立和行走能力发育良好。9.5日龄时睁眼，出生时就有几种眨眼反应（包括对光眨眼）。47日龄时可见足够的双眼协调。视觉发育与眼内介质的清除同步进行，到32日龄时眼内介质相当透明。视觉引导的爪子放置和视觉睑反射成熟较晚（分别在37日龄和59日龄）。外耳道和耳廓分别在12日龄和31日龄时完全发育；出生时就有自发和触觉性耳廓运动；分别在6.5日龄和18日龄时对动物和非动物声音的定向发育良好；16日龄时空间声音定位发育，对动物声音的差异反应在24.5日龄时成熟。出生时就有躯体反应和嗅觉，但此后进一步成熟。小猫之间的嬉戏互动在10 - 15日龄时开始，在36 - 40日龄时可见发育良好的嬉戏行为。简而言之，在出生后的前3个月内，所有神经功能都在逐渐成熟。
