Single unit response types in the pulvinar of the Cebus monkey to multisensory stimulation.

Response to sensory stimulation was studied in 162 neurons in the pulvinar of Cebus monkeys in 4 acute and 5 chronic preparations. Two basic response patterns were observed: type I responses, similar to those obtained in primary relay centers, were only observed after visual stimulation. Type II responses were obtained after stimulation of more than one sensory modality. Characteristically these responses presented fatigue and habituation. Temporal relationship between stimulus and response was not as clear as in type I responses, afterdischarge frequently occurred. Taking these response types into consideration two groups of units were identified in the pulvinar. Units of group A (91 neurons) showed type I response to visual stimulation. For these units receptive fields similar to those found in other regions of visual projection could be defined. As a rule units of group A displayed type II responses to other sensory modalities. Units of group B (71) did not display type I responses; they always responded to visual, somatic, auditory and olfactory stimuli with type II responses. They could be activated by a single sensory modality (B, unimodal) or by more than one sensory modality (B, multimodal).