[Evoked responses of the lateral geniculate body to photic stimulation in intact and visually deprived rabbits].

Flash-evoked responses were recorded from the contralateral lateral geniculate nucleus and from the primary visual cortex in 2--3-month-old dark-reared rabbits. Experiments were performed under nembutal anaesthesia in dark-adapted animals. It was found that, in contrast to a significant decrease in the cortical primary response amplitude of visually deprived rabbits, there were no apparent differences either in amplitude or latency and duration of the geniculate nucleus response between dark-reared and control animals. These results suggest that the abnormalities evoked in visually deprived rabbits were localized mainly at the cortical level. Hypothetical mechanisms of functional abnormalities in dark-reared rabbits are discussed.