Receptive field organization of complex cells in cat striate cortex

1981 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Heggelund
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Striate Cortex ◽  
Complex Cells ◽  
Field Organization ◽  
Receptive Field Organization ◽  
Cat Striate Cortex

Receptive-field characteristics of neurons in cat striate cortex: Changes with visual field eccentricity

1976 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 512-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Wilson ◽  
S. M. Sherman
Keyword(s):  
Visual Field ◽  
Receptive Field ◽  
Striate Cortex ◽  
Ocular Dominance ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Direction Selectivity ◽  
Orientation Selectivity ◽  
Simple Cells ◽  
Complex Cells ◽  
Cat Striate Cortex

1. Receptive-field properties of 214 neurons from cat striate cortex were studied with particular emphasis on: a) classification, b) field size, c) orientation selectivity, d) direction selectivity, e) speed selectivity, and f) ocular dominance. We studied receptive fields located throughtout the visual field, including the monocular segment, to determine how receptivefield properties changed with eccentricity in the visual field.2. We classified 98 cells as "simple," 80 as "complex," 21 as "hypercomplex," and 15 in other categories. The proportion of complex cells relative to simple cells increased monotonically with receptive-field eccenticity.3. Direction selectivity and preferred orientation did not measurably change with eccentricity. Through most of the binocular segment, this was also true for ocular dominance; however, at the edge of the binocular segment, there were more fields dominated by the contralateral eye.4. Cells had larger receptive fields, less orientation selectivity, and higher preferred speeds with increasing eccentricity. However, these changes were considerably more pronounced for complex than for simple cells.5. These data suggest that simple and complex cells analyze different aspects of a visual stimulus, and we provide a hypothesis which suggests that simple cells analyze input typically from one (or a few) geniculate neurons, while complex cells receive input from a larger region of geniculate neurons. On average, this region is invariant with eccentricity and, due to a changing magnification factor, complex fields increase in size with eccentricity much more than do simple cells. For complex cells, computations of this geniculate region transformed to cortical space provide a cortical extent equal to the spread of pyramidal cell basal dendrites.

Position-specific adaptation in complex cell receptive fields of the cat striate cortex

1993 ◽  
Vol 69 (6) ◽  
pp. 2209-2221 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Marlin ◽  
R. Douglas ◽  
M. Cynader
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Striate Cortex ◽  
Small Region ◽  
Directional Asymmetry ◽  
Induced Response ◽  
Complex Cell ◽  
Complex Cells ◽  
Preferred Direction ◽  
Response Profiles ◽  
Cat Striate Cortex

1. Responses of complex cells in cat striate cortex were studied with flashed light slit stimuli. The responses to slits flashed in different positions in the receptive field were assessed quantitatively before and after periods of prolonged stimulation of one small region of the receptive field. This type of prolonged stimulation resulted in reduced responsivity over a limited zone within the complex cell receptive field. 2. The adaptation-induced responsivity decrement was generally observed in both the ON and OFF response profiles but could also be restricted to one or the other. In general, the magnitude of the response decrements was greatest in the ON response profiles. The adaptation-induced response decrement did not necessarily spread throughout the receptive field but was restricted to a small region surrounding the adapted receptive field position (RFP). Adaptation spread equally widely across the ON and OFF response profiles despite the smaller adaptation effects in the OFF profile. 3. The adaptation effects from repeated stimulation at a single RFP did not spread symmetrically across the receptive field, and a given cell's preferred direction of motion indicated the direction of the asymmetric spread of the adaptation. RFPs that would be stimulated by a light slit originating at the point of adaptation and moving in the preferred direction (preferred side) showed greater adaptation-induced response decrements than did RFPs that would be stimulated by a light slit moving in the opposite direction from the point of adaptation (nonpreferred side). There was significant enhancement of responses at some RFPs on the non-preferred side of the point of adaptation. This asymmetric spread of adaptation could be caused by adaptation of inhibitory connections that contribute to complex cell direction selectivity. 4. The asymmetry of adaptation was significantly different for the ON and OFF response profiles. The asymmetric spread of adaptation for the ON response profile was similar to that observed previously in simple cells with greater decrements in the preferred direction side of the point of adaptation. However, the OFF response profiles showed less directional asymmetry in the spread of adaptation and showed greater decrements at RFPs in the nonpreferred direction side of the point of adaptation. 5. The similarity between the spread of adaptation in simple and complex cells suggests that the adaptation in these cells is occurring through a common mechanism. The directional asymmetry of the spread of adaptation is likely due to a local postsynaptic mechanism of adaptation rather than presynaptic transmitter depletion.

Role of corpus callosum in functional organization of cat striate cortex

1984 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 570-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. R. Payne ◽  
H. E. Pearson ◽  
N. Berman
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Corpus Callosum ◽  
Striate Cortex ◽  
Visual Space ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Vertical Strip ◽  
Vertical Meridian ◽  
Complex Cells ◽  
Cat Striate Cortex

The short-term (3-51 days) and long-term (31-42 wk) effects of corpus callosum transection on the receptive-field properties of neurons were assessed at the single-cell, architectural, and topographical levels of organization in the cat striate cortex. Corpus callosum transection decreased the proportion of neurons that could be activated from both eyes. In short-term animals, the reduction in binocularity was restricted to the representation of a vertical strip of visual space extending from the vertical meridian to at least 12 degrees lateral. In the long-term animals, the reduction in binocularity was restricted to the representation of visual space 4 degrees lateral to the vertical meridian. Therefore, the reduction in the representation of 4-12 degrees was only temporary. In both groups, the reduction in binocularity was less in the representation of area centralis than at other retinal locations in the same vertical strip. The region of area 17 affected permanently by the transection receives fibers from the contralateral hemisphere in normal animals. The region affected temporarily by the transection contains callosal cells but does not contain callosal terminals. Binocularity was assessed separately for simple I, simple II, and complex receptive-field types. The reduction in binocularity in the 12 degrees strip in short-term animals and in the 4 degrees strip in long-term animals was accounted for mainly by a reduction in binocularity of simple I and complex cells. As in normal animals, complex cells in callosum-transected cats were always more binocular than the other cell types. An analysis of the effects of corpus callosum transection on different cortical layers showed that a greater proportion of cells in the supragranular layers II and III showed a reduction in binocularity than in the infragranular layers V and VI. The proportion of binocular neurons in layer IV was not significantly different from normal. The major decreases in binocularity occurred in layers II, III, and VI for simple I and simple II cells and in layers II, III, and V for complex cells. The binocularity of simple II cells in layer IV and complex cells in layer VI was not affected. The effects of the transection on the columnar organization of the cortex were assessed by making electrode tracks that passed in the radial or laminar dimensions of the cortex. Reconstructions of the radial tracks showed that cells within one radial column tended to be dominated by the same eye. In adjacent columns, cells tended to be dominated by different eyes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Development of spatial receptive-field organization and orientation selectivity in kitten striate cortex

1985 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 1158-1178 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. O. Braastad ◽  
P. Heggelund
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Striate Cortex ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Orientation Selectivity ◽  
Half Width ◽  
Orientation Tuning ◽  
Maximal Response ◽  
Tuning Curves ◽  
Field Organization ◽  
Receptive Field Organization

The functional organization of the receptive field of neurons in striate cortex of kittens from 8 days to 3 mo of age was studied by extracellular recordings. A quantitative dual-stimulus technique was used, which allowed for analysis of both enhancement and suppression zones in the receptive field. Furthermore the development of orientation selectivity was studied quantitatively in the same cells. Already in the youngest kittens the receptive fields were spatially organized like adult fields, with a central zone and adjacent flanks that responded in opposite manner to the light stimulus. The relative suppression in the subzones was as strong as in adult cells. Both simple and complex cells were found from 8 days. The receptive fields were like magnified adult fields. The width of the dominant discharge-field zone and the distance between the positions giving maximum discharge and maximum suppression decreased with age in the same proportions. The decrease could be explained by a corresponding decrease of the receptive-field-center size of retinal ganglion cells. Forty percent of the cells were orientation selective before 2 wk, and the fraction increased to 94% at 4 wk. Cells whose responses could be attenuated to at least half of the maximal response by changes of slit orientation were termed orientation selective. The half-width of the orientation-tuning curves narrowed during the first 5 wk, and this change was most marked in simple cells. The ability of the cells to discriminate between orientations in statistical terms was weak in the youngest kittens due to a large response variability, and showed a more pronounced development than the half-width did. The orientation-tuning curves were fitted by an exponential function, which showed the shape to be adultlike in all age groups. Two kittens were dark reared until recording at 1 mo of age. The spatial receptive-field organization and the orientation selectivity in these kittens were similar to normal-reared kittens at 1 mo. The responsivity of the cells of the dark-reared kittens was lower, and the latency before firing was longer than in the normal-reared kittens of the same age, and these response properties were more similar to those in 1- to 2-wk-old normal kittens. Our results indicate that the spatial organization of the receptive field is innate in most cells and that visual experience is unnecessary for the organization to be maintained and for the receptive-field width to mature during the first month postnatally.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Comparison of the responses of AII amacrine cells in the dark- and light-adapted rabbit retina

1999 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 653-665 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAIYAN XIN ◽  
STEWART A. BLOOMFIELD
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Light Adaptation ◽  
Amacrine Cells ◽  
Bipolar Cells ◽  
Rabbit Retina ◽  
Response Component ◽  
Synaptic Inputs ◽  
Field Organization ◽  
Receptive Field Organization ◽  
Aii Amacrine Cells

We studied the light-evoked responses of AII amacrine cells in the rabbit retina under dark- and light-adapted conditions. In contrast to the results of previous studies, we found that AII cells display robust responses to light over a 6–7 log unit intensity range, well beyond the operating range of rod photoreceptors. Under dark adaptation, AII cells showed an ON-center/OFF-surround receptive-field organization. The intensity–response profile of the center-mediated response component followed a dual-limbed sigmoidal function indicating a transition from rod to cone mediation as stimulus intensities were increased. Following light adaptation, the receptive-field organization of AII cells changed dramatically. Light-adapted AII cells showed both ON- and OFF-responses to stimulation of the center receptive field, but we found no evidence for an antagonistic surround. Interestingly, the OFF-center response appeared first following rapid light adaptation and was then replaced gradually over a 1–4 min period by the emerging ON-center response component. Application of the metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist APB, the ionotropic glutamate blocker CNQX, 8-bromo-cGMP, and the nitric oxide donor SNAP all showed differential effects on the various center-mediated responses displayed by dark- and light-adapted AII cells. Taken together, these pharmacological results indicated that different synaptic circuits are responsible for the generation of the different AII cell responses. Specifically, the rod-driven ON-center responses are apparently derived from rod bipolar cell synaptic inputs, whereas the cone-driven ON-center responses arise from signals crossing the gap junctions between AII cells and ON-center cone bipolar cells. Additionally, the OFF-center response of light-adapted AII cells reflects direct synaptic inputs from OFF-center cone bipolar cells to AII dendritic processes in the distal inner plexiform layer.

Two-dimensional receptive-field organization in striate cortical neurons of the cat

1994 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 703-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Sun ◽  
A. B. Bonds
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Ocular Dominance ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Field Size ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Cortical Layers ◽  
Field Organization ◽  
Receptive Field Organization ◽  
Cortical Receptive Fields

AbstractThe two-dimensional organization of receptive fields (RFs) of 44 cells in the cat visual cortex and four cells from the cat LGN was measured by stimulation with either dots or bars of light. The light bars were presented in different positions and orientations centered on the RFs. The RFs found were arbitrarily divided into four general types: Punctate, resembling DOG filters (11%); those resembling Gabor filters (9%); elongate (36%); and multipeaked-type (44%). Elongate RFs, usually found in simple cells, could show more than one excitatory band or bifurcation of excitatory regions. Although regions inhibitory to a given stimulus transition (e.g. ON) often coincided with regions excitatory to the opposite transition (e.g. OFF), this was by no means the rule. Measurements were highly repeatable and stable over periods of at least 1 h. A comparison between measurements made with dots and with bars showed reasonable matches in about 40% of the cases. In general, bar-based measurements revealed larger RFs with more structure, especially with respect to inhibitory regions. Inactivation of lower cortical layers (V-VI) by local GABA injection was found to reduce sharpness of detail and to increase both receptive-field size and noise in upper layer cells, suggesting vertically organized RF mechanisms. Across the population, some cells bore close resemblance to theoretically proposed filters, while others had a complexity that was clearly not generalizable, to the extent that they seemed more suited to detection of specific structures. We would speculate that the broadly varying forms of cat cortical receptive fields result from developmental processes akin to those that form ocular-dominance columns, but on a smaller scale.

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