Selective cell loss in the lateral geniculate nucleus of adult cats following binocular lid suture.

Two weeks of binocular lid suture in adult cats caused selective cell loss in lamina A1 of the lateral geniculate nucleus. The loss was manifested as a shift in the latency distribution of LGN cell responses to optic chiasm shock. Proportionately fewer LGN cells with slowly conducting retinal afferents (X-cell range) were in evidence following binocular suture. This change was observed only in lamina A1 while laminae A and C retained normal latency distributions. These observations confirm and extend recent reports of the susceptibility of adult cat visual system to environmental modification.