Premium
A comparison of koniocellular, magnocellular and parvocellular receptive field properties in the lateral geniculate nucleus of the owl monkey ( Aotus trivirgatus )
Author(s) -
Xu Xiangmin,
Ichida Jennifer M.,
Allison John D.,
Boyd Jamie D.,
Bonds A. B.,
Casagrande Vivien A.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7793.2001.0203j.x
Subject(s) - parvocellular cell , lateral geniculate nucleus , receptive field , neuroscience , geniculate , summation , visual cortex , physics , contrast (vision) , biology , nucleus , optics , stimulation
1 By analogy to previous work on lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) magnocellular (M) and parvocellular (P) cells our goal was to construct a physiological profile of koniocellular (K) cells that might be linked to particular visual perceptual attributes. 2 Extracellular recordings were used to study LGN cells, or their axons, in silenced primary visual cortex (V1), in nine anaesthetized owl monkeys injected with a neuromuscular blocker. Receptive field centre‐surround organization was examined using flashing spots. Spatial and temporal tuning and contrast responses were examined using drifting sine‐wave gratings; counterphase sine‐wave gratings were used to examine linearity of spatial summation. 3 Receptive fields of 133 LGN cells and 10 LGN afferent axons were analysed at eccentricities ranging from 2.8 to 31.3 deg. Thirty‐four per cent of K cells and only 9 % of P and 6 % of M cells responded poorly to drifting gratings. K, P and M cells showed increases in centre size with eccentricity, but K cells showed more scatter. All cells, except one M cell, showed linearity in spatial summation. 4 At matched eccentricities, K cells exhibited lower spatial and intermediate temporal resolution compared with P and M cells. K contrast thresholds and gains were more similar to those of M than P cells. M cells showed lower spatial and higher temporal resolution and contrast gains than P cells. 5 K cells in different K LGN layers differed in spatial, temporal and contrast characteristics, with K3 cells having higher spatial resolution and lower temporal resolution than K1/K2 cells. 6 Taken together with previous results these findings suggest that the K cells consist of several classes, some of which could contribute to conventional aspects of spatial and temporal resolution.