[Changes in functional connections between adjacent and distant neurons of the motor cortex in the cat during elaboration of an electrodefensive reflexes].

Dynamic reorganization of functional connections between neurones was observed in the motor cortex of cats in the process of electrodefensive conditioning. At a stable conditioned reflex, an increase of number of functional connections was observed more expressed between the neurones of distant microareas (within the range of 450 mcm investigated). In the process of conditioning sometimes one and the same neurone did not change its network properties within its own microarea but became noticeably activated in relation to the neurones of other microareas. The results obtained confirm the suggestion about a multilevel structure of neuronal integration in the process of learning, the first level consisting of consolidation of neighbouring neurones in the microarea, the second one consisting in consolidation of neurones of neighbouring microareas.