[Polysensory interaction in the cat posterior ventrolateral thalamic nucleus].

The neurone activity was studied in the posterior ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus in acute experiments on unanesthetized cats. About 20% of the neurons studied proved to react to the visual and somatosensory stimulation. By the character of reaction to these stimuli the polymodal neurons could be divided into three groups. In elaboration of the active defense reflex to visual electric skin stimulation there were recorded in the mentioned nucleus the rhythm assimilation reaction with the action of the flickering light and its depression in case a biologically significant stimulus was presented against this background. After section of the optic tract and separation of the hemispheres to the cerebellar level the rhythm assimilation reaction and its depression were revealed in the posterior ventro-lateral nucleus of the thalamus at the side of the section of the optic tract. This fact indicated that the leading canal of the entrance of visual afferentation to this nucleus passed through the stem reticular formation.