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doi:10.1016/0006-8993(73)90824-X 
Copyright © 1973 Published by Elsevier B.V.
Alterations of spatio-tactile discrimination after lesions of primate spinal cord
Accepted 15 January 1973.
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Summary
Macaca speciosa monkeys were trained to produce psychophysical thresholds for tactile size discrimination. The stimuli were Plexiglass discs of varying sizes that were impressed onto the sole of either foot. The monkeys learned to make one response when touched with the smallest (standard) stimulus and to respond differently when contacted by any of the larger (comparison) stimuli. Thoracic dorsal column lesions produced large, ipsilateral deficits that endured more than 2 months, and then gradual recovery to preoperative levels was observed over succeeding months of testing. Subsequent addition of homolateral-dorsolateral column lesions returned the large deficits for several months. Another gradual recovery period followed, but thresholds did not reach normal values after nearly a year of testing. Although the impairments after dorsal column lesions were not permanent, these results are interpreted to mean that certain forms of information leading to distinct somesthetic sensations have their spinal conduction restricted exclusively to the dorsal white columns.
