Integrating the work of D. Denny-Brown and some of his contemporaries intocurrent studies of the primate motor cortex

Most contemporary investigators who study the behavioral effects of lesions of the primate motor cortex evaluate their findings in comparison to those of other recent investigators, but not in relation to the experimental neu rologists who dominated this field around the mid-part of the 20th century. Utilizing selected recent reports, we demonstrate that these earlier paper s, primarily those by D. Denny-Brown, provide valuable insights into the in terpretation of some modem studies. Thus, we suggest that contemporary inve stigators of the primate motor cortex thoroughly review articles by the mid -20th century experimental neurologists. In addition, Denny-Brown and his c ontemporaries studied the effects of lesions in many other parts of the pri mate nervous system, and the associated reports are presumably also relevan t to current investigations of these areas of the CNS. (C) 2001 Published b y Elsevier Science B.V.