Behavioural thermosensitivity after unilateral, partial lesions of the lateral funiculus in the cervical spinal cord of the cat.

Adult cats were tested for unilateral, behavioural thermosensitivity, before and after unilateral, surgical lesions involving part of the lateral funiculus of the cervical spinal cord. Contralateral thermosensory deficiencies were found after lesions, which involved the middle parts of the lateral funiculus. No such deficiencies were observed after lesions which were restricted to either the dorsal third, or the ventral half of the lateral funiculus. It was concluded that behaviourally important, thermosensory information is transmitted via an ascending pathway which is located ventrally in the dorsal half of the lateral funiculus.