[Responses of visual cortex neurons to photic and acoustic stimuli in rabbits reared in the dark].

Unit responses in the visual cortex to photic and acoustic stimuli were studied in intact and visually deprived rabbits raised in the dark since birth up to 2.5--5 months of age. Photic flashes, tones, single and rhythmical clicks were used as stimuli. A significant increase of the number of bimodal units was revealed in the cortex of visually deprived rabbits. The level of significance of the statistical estimate of the change in the number of phonoreactive units (its increase due to deprivation) amounts to 92%. The nature of responses to flashes and the ratio of photoreactive units does not change due to deprivation, which suggests their genetic determination. Possible mechanisms of the re-distribution of neuronal reactivity in the rabbit visual cortex in conditions of deprivation are discussed.