Steady discharges of macaque retinal ganglion cells

1994 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. Troy ◽  
B. B. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Serial Correlation ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Power Spectra ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Visual Signals ◽  
Noise Power ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Coefficients Of Variation ◽  
The Mean

AbstractSteady discharges were collected from ganglion cells of the magnocellular (MC) and parvocellular (PC) pathways of the macaque while their receptive fields were uniformly illuminated with a 4.7-deg steady yellow light of photopic illuminance. The mean rates, coefficients of variation, interval distributions, serial correlation coefficients, and power spectra of these discharges were determined. The results presented permit one to estimate the noise power in the discharges of macaque ganglion cells and hence determine how visual signals of different amplitudes will be affected by the noise resident in their discharges.Although there was some small serial correlation in the discharges of both MC- and PC-pathway cells, their discharges can be considered to result from renewal processes with reasonable accuracy. As with the discharges of cat ganglion cells, macaque ganglion cell discharges can be considered to have approximately gamma-distributed intervals. Steady discharges of MC- and PC-pathway cells show considerable overlap in their statistics, although small but significant differences are present.

scholarly journals MAINTAINED ACTIVITY IN THE CAT'S RETINA IN LIGHT AND DARKNESS

1957 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 683-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. W. Kuffler ◽  
R. Fitzhugh ◽  
H. B. Barlow
Keyword(s):  
Serial Correlation ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Nervous Activity ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Nerve Fibers ◽  
Frequency Change ◽  
Maintained Discharge ◽  
Frequency Changes

Nervous activity has been recorded from the unopened eye of decerebrate cats. Recordings were made with metal electrodes or with small micropipettes from ganglion cells or nerve fibers. Continuous maintained discharges were seen in all ganglion cells during steady illumination of their receptive fields, as well as in complete darkness. Possible artefacts, such as electrode pressure, abnormal circulation, anesthetic, and several other factors have been excluded as the source of the maintained discharge. Visual stimuli are therefore transmitted by modulating the ever present background activity. Discharge frequencies were measured following changes of retinal illumination. No consistent patterns of frequency change were found. The maintained discharge frequency may be permanently increased or decreased, or may remain practically unchanged by altering the steady level of illumination. In addition, there were often transient frequency changes during the first 5 to 10 minutes after changing illumination, before a final steady rate was established. A statistical analysis of the impulse intervals of the maintained discharge showed: (a) the intervals were distributed according to the gamma distribution (Pearson's type III), (b) the first serial correlation coefficient of the intervals was between –0.10 and –0.24, with a mean value of –0.17, which is significantly different from zero, (c) the higher order serial correlation coefficients were not significantly different from zero. Thus the firing probability at any time depends on the times of occurrence of the two preceding impulses only, and in such a way as to indicate that each impulse is followed by a transient depression of excitability that outlasts the following impulse. The possible sites at which spontaneous or maintained activity may originate in the retina are discussed.

scholarly journals Dependence of center radius on temporal frequency for the receptive fields of X retinal ganglion cells of cat.

1989 ◽  
Vol 94 (6) ◽  
pp. 987-995 ◽  
Author(s):  
J B Troy ◽  
C Enroth-Cugell
Keyword(s):  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Temporal Frequency ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Spatial Expansion ◽  
Neuronal Membranes ◽  
Inductive Elements ◽  
X Cells

We examined the dependence of the center radius of X cells on temporal frequency and found that at temporal frequencies above 40 Hz the radius increases in a monotonic fashion, reaching a size approximately 30% larger at 70 Hz. This kind of spatial expansion has been predicted with cable models of receptive fields where inductive elements are included in modeling the neuronal membranes. Hence, the expansion of the center radius is clearly important for modeling X cell receptive fields. On the other hand, we feel that it might be of only minor functional significance, since the responsivity of X cells is attenuated at these high temporal frequencies and the signal-to-noise ratio is considerably worse than at low and midrange temporal frequencies.

Image Sharpness and Contrast Tuning in the Early Visual Pathway

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (08) ◽  
pp. 1750045 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Sánchez ◽  
Rubén Ferreiroa ◽  
Adrián Arias ◽  
Luis M. Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Functional Organization ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Local Contrast ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Image Sharpness ◽  
Image Processing Techniques ◽  
Thalamic Relay ◽  
Processing Techniques

The center–surround organization of the receptive fields (RFs) of retinal ganglion cells highlights the presence of local contrast in visual stimuli. As RF of thalamic relay cells follow the same basic functional organization, it is often assumed that they contribute very little to alter the retinal output. However, in many species, thalamic relay cells largely outnumber their retinal inputs, which diverge to contact simultaneously several units at thalamic level. This gain in cell population as well as retinothalamic convergence opens the door to question how information about contrast is transformed at the thalamic stage. Here, we address this question using a realistic dynamic model of the retinothalamic circuit. Our results show that different components of the thalamic RF might implement filters that are analogous to two types of well-known image processing techniques to preserve the quality of a higher resolution version of the image on its way to the primary visual cortex.

Morphogenesis of retinal ganglion cells during formation of the fovea in the Rhesus macaque

1992 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 603-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Kirby ◽  
Thomas C. Steineke
Keyword(s):  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Primary Dendrite ◽  
Dendritic Arbor ◽  
Inner Plexiform Layer ◽  
Comparative Neurology ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Central Retina ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Mean

AbstractThe morphology of retinal ganglion cells within the central retina during formation of the fovea was examined in retinal explants with horseradish-peroxidase histochemistry. A foveal depression was first apparent in retinal wholemounts at embryonic day 112 (El 12; gestational term is approximately 165 days). At earlier fetal ages, the site of the future fovea was identified by several criteria that included peak density of ganglion cells, lack of blood vessels in the inner retinal layers, arcuate fiber bundles, and the absence of rod outer segments in the photoreceptor layer. Prior to E112, the terminal dendritic arbor of retinal ganglion cells within the central retina extended into the inner plexiform layer and were located directly beneath their somas of origin or at most were slightly displaced from it. For example, at E90 the mean horizontal displacement of the geometric center of the dendritic arbor from the somas of cells within 600 μm of the estimated center of the future fovea was 4.1 μm (S.D. 2.7, range 1.0-10.0, n = 97). Following formation of the foveal depression the dendritic arbors of cells were significantly displaced from their somas. For example, at E138 the mean displacement was 41.2 μm (S.D. 12.2, range 12.0-56.0, n = 97). The displacement of the dendritic arbor which occurred during this period was not accounted for by areal growth of the dendritic arbor, the somas, or the retina, but was produced by the lengthening of the primary dendritic trunk. Moreover, no significant displacement was observed within the remaining 1.5–6.5 mm of the central retina. These observations provide evidence supporting early speculations that the formation of the foveal pit occurs, in part, by the radial migration of ganglion cells from the center of the fovea during its formation. Our analyses suggest that this migration occurs by the lengthening of the primary dendrite presumably by the addition of membrane. This migration is in a direction opposite to the inward movement of photoreceptors that occurs during late fetal and early postnatal periods (Packer et al., 1990, Journal of Comparative Neurology 298, 472–493).

Receptive fields of primate retinal ganglion cells studied with a novel technique

1998 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
BARRY B. LEE ◽  
JAN KREMERS ◽  
TSAIYAO YEH
Keyword(s):  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Bipolar Cells ◽  
Subunit Structure ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Cell Frequency ◽  
Novel Technique ◽  
Large Factor ◽  
A Subunit ◽  
Size Estimates

We have reinvestigated receptive-field structure of ganglion cells of the macaque parafovea using counterphase modulation of a bipartite field. Receptive fields were mapped with luminance, chromatic, and cone-isolating stimuli. Center sizes of middle (M) and long (L) wavelength cone opponent cells of the parvocellular (PC) pathway were consistent with previous estimates (Gaussian radii of 2–4 min of arc, corresponding to center diameters of 6–12 min of arc). We calculate that a large factor of the enlargement relative to cone radius could be blur due to the eye's natural optics. Maps were consistent with cone selectivity in surround mechanisms, which had radii of 5–8 min of arc. For magnocellular (MC) cells, center size estimates were also consistent with grating measurements from the literature (also Gaussian radii of 2–4 min of arc). The surround mechanism contributing the MC-cell frequency-doubled response to chromatic modulation appears to possess a subunit structure, and we speculate it derives from nonlinear summation of signals from M,L-cone opponent subunits, such as midget bipolar cells.

Computation of motion direction by quail retinal ganglion cells that have a nonconcentric receptive field

2000 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
HIROYUKI UCHIYAMA ◽  
TAKAHIDE KANAYA ◽  
SHOICHI SONOHATA
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Retinal Ganglion Cells ◽  
Japanese Quail ◽  
Ganglion Cells ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Object Motion ◽  
Directional Selectivity ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Motion Direction ◽  
Neuronal Mechanisms

One type of retinal ganglion cells prefers object motion in a particular direction. Neuronal mechanisms for the computation of motion direction are still unknown. We quantitatively mapped excitatory and inhibitory regions of receptive fields for directionally selective retinal ganglion cells in the Japanese quail, and found that the inhibitory regions are displaced about 1–3 deg toward the side where the null sweep starts, relative to the excitatory regions. Directional selectivity thus results from delayed transient suppression exerted by the nonconcentrically arranged inhibitory regions, and not by local directional inhibition as hypothesized by Barlow and Levick (1965).

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