Presumed 'prefrontal cortex' lesions in pigeons: effects on visual discrimination performance

The posterodorsolateral neostriatum (PDLNS) in pigeons may be an equivalent of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in mammals. Here we report that lesions of this brain region in pigeons have a detrimental effect on various learned v isual discriminations. Pigeons with lesions of the overlying area corticoid ea dorsolateralis (CDL) served as controls. Both the postoperative re-learn ing to criterion of a preoperatively learned simultaneous double visual mir ror pattern discrimination and the learning of a simple successive go, no-g o discrimination were impaired by the PDLNS lesions. The PDLNS and CDL grou ps did not differ significantly in the postoperative learning of a reversal of the simultaneous discrimination. The results are discussed in relation to the presumed equivalence between the avian PDNLS and the mammalian PFC. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.