Ontogenetic and Phylogenetic Studies on the Amygdaloid Nuclei

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Abstract
The effects of amygdala lesions in the adult and infant rat, cat, and monkey were studied and correlated with the effects of electrical stimulation of subcortical structures in the infant cat. If the amygdala is removed early in life, behavioral development remains relatively uninfluenced. After specific functional maturational stages have been reached, the lesion necessitates a reorganization of existing cerebral systems, which manifests as behavioral disturbances, transient or relatively permanent, depending upon the plasticity of the systems involved. Phylogenetically, there appears for some functions to be a shift from a physiological dependence to an inappropriateness of response. While similar categories of behavior may be affected, the specific syndrome will depend on the degree of encephalization and behavioral specialization.