Visual Receptive Fields in the Cat's Retina: Complications

Spinelli, D.N.

doi:10.1126/science.152.3730.1768

Cited by 53 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Work of a quantitative nature has been done on retinal ganglion cell receptive fields in the cat (Barlow et al 1957;Wiesel, 1960;Rodieck & Stone, 1965;Enroth-Cugell & Robson, 1966;Spinelli, 1966;Spinelli & Weingarten, 1966), but with regard to characteristics of the central mechanism it is often quite difficult to integrate the results of different workers; for instance, no two workers have used quite the same specifications for centre size. Moreover, sufficient information is rarely available for translation of one set of results into the terms of another investigator's results.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantitative aspects of sensitivity and summation in the cat retina

Cleland¹,

Enroth‐Cugell²

1968

The Journal of Physiology

151

108

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SUYMMRY1. Properties of the central response mechanism of on-centre ganglion cells in the cat retina were studied by recording, from optic tract fibres, responses evoked by stimuli modulated with time in a sinusoidal or squarewave fashion.2. The shape of averaged square-wave responses resulting from the central mechanism alone was identified. This shape was identical from one cell to another. Such an identification permits the early recognition of peripheral antagonism.3. Threshold sensitivity for a sinusoidal stimulus was determined for fifty cells along one horizontal and vertical axis, passing through the most sensitive portion of the receptive field. These sensitivity profiles were described in terms of a central segment of constant maximum sensitivity (uniform centre) and sloping outer segments of exponentially decreasing sensitivity (exponential annulus). The dimensions of the uniform centre (horizontal axis x vertical axis) varied from 0.10 x 0.10 to 2.5 x 2-20, the half width of the exponential annulus ranged from 0.10 to 0.630. 18 B. G. CLELANTD AND CHRISTINA ENROTH-CUGELL central mechanism alone contributed to the response. These area-sensitivity curves did not show any decrease in sensitivity at larger diameters. 6. The shape of the area-sensitivity curve, and hence the extent of the -ummating area, was found to be independent of the state of adaptation.7. For any one cell the shapes of the area-adaptation and area-sensitivity curves were shown to be identical, indicating that adapting flux and stimulus flux are independent of distribution over the same defined limits.8. The sensitivity of combinations of small disconnected areas of the receptive field was found to be equal to the sum of their individual sensitivities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantitative aspects of sensitivity and summation in the cat retina

Cleland¹,

Enroth‐Cugell²

1968

The Journal of Physiology

151

108

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“…Thus, Rodieck & Stone (1965) and Rodieck (1967) introduced 'suppressedby-contrast' cells, Stone & Fabian (1966) described C-type fields, diffuse fields and on-off fields (one of the four on-off fields being direction selective) and Spinelli (1966Spinelli ( , 1967) outlined concentric-a fields, concentric-b fields, bar-shaped fields, edge-shaped fields, 'presence detectors' and sundry odd shaped fields. Andrews & Hammond (1970) described in deeper penetrations of the optic tract an increasing proportion of units lacking the conventional centre-surround organization, but responding either to onset or offset of stimulation throughout their receptive fields, but never to both.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Properties of rarely encountered types of ganglion cells in the cat's retina and on overall classification

Cleland¹,

Levick²

1974

The Journal of Physiology

376

136

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SUMMARY1. In a reference sample of 960 cat retinal ganglion cells, seventy-three had receptive fields departing from the concentric centre-surround pattern.2. Five classes were distinguished among the subset: local edge detectors, direction-selective cells, colour-coded cells, uniformity detectors, edge inhibitory off-centre cells.3. Local edge detectors (forty-five) possessed a radially symmetrical pattern of responses to both centrifugal and centripetal movements of both black and white small targets, an on-off receptive field with a silent inhibitory surround and a low or zero maintained discharge. Their operation could be interpreted as the detection of a contrasting border confined to a small region of the visual field.4. With direction-selective units (eleven) it was possible to find an axis through the receptive field along which sharply different responses could be obtained for opposite directions of movement of small black or white targets.5. Colour units (six) were mostly of the single opponent type having excitatory input from blue-sensitive cones and inhibitory input from long wave-length cones. Both inputs coexisted at the centre of the field and either could be spatially more extensive than the other. One example changed over to rod input under scotopic conditions, another did not.6. Uniformity detectors (five) had a brisk maintained discharge which was reduced or abolished temporarily by all forms of visual stimulation.7. Edge inhibitory off-centre units (three) behaved like uniformity detectors for small targets and fine gratings but like off-centre on-surround units for large targets. Their receptive fields consisted of three concentric regions: a small sized, central edge inhibitory region; a larger zone of off-responsiveness; and an outlying annulus of on-responsiveness.

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“…The structure of such modules is presented in much greater detail than Eccles has done in The Self and Its Brain or anywhere else. Furthermore, the precise operation of the modules has been simulated by computer on several occasions in Pribram's laboratory (Spinelli 1966;Phelps 1974;Bridgeman 1971;Pribram, Nuwer and Baron 1974).…”

Section: There Is a Brain In The Mind/brain Problemmentioning

confidence: 99%