Open AccessEffects of early experience upon orientation sensitivity and binocularity of neurons in visual cortex of cats.
Author(s) -
Audie G. Leventhal,
Helmut V. B. Hirsch
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.74.3.1272
Subject(s) - receptive field , visual cortex , stimulus (psychology) , striate cortex , cats , orientation column , binocular neurons , stimulation , neuroscience , cortical neurons , binocular vision , ocular dominance , biology , anatomy , psychology , physics , optics , medicine , cognitive psychology
The class of neurons within the visual cortex of normal adult cats that has the smallest receptive fields (less than or equal to 2.25 degrees2) and that responds only to low rates of stimulus motion (less than or equal to 50 degrees / sec) responds preferentially to lines oriented about either the horizontal axis (+/-22.5 degrees) or the vertical axis (+/-22.5 degrees). In animals reared without exposure to patterned visual stimulation, many of these cells display orientation preferences but are activated monocularly. In contrast, in normal animals, neurons that have larger receptive fields or that respond to higher rates of stimulus motion do not exhibit a similar bias in the distribution of their orientation preferences. Cells of this type, studied in animals reared without exposure to patterned visual stimuli, are activated binocularly but do not display orientation preferences.