scholarly journals Quadratic Mutual Information estimation of mouse dLGN receptive fields reveals asymmetry between ON and OFF visual pathways

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiguang Mu ◽  
Konstantin Nikolic ◽  
Simon R. Schultz
Keyword(s):  
Mutual Information ◽  
Functional Properties ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Estimation Method ◽  
Electrode Array ◽  
Orientation Selectivity ◽  
Dorsal Lateral Geniculate Nucleus ◽  
Recent Experimental Data ◽  
On And Off Cells

AbstractThe longstanding theory of “parallel processing” predicts that, except for a sign reversal, ON and OFF cells are driven by a similar pre-synaptic circuit and have similar visual field coverage, direction/orientation selectivity, visual acuity and other functional properties. However, recent experimental data challenges this view. Here we present an information theory based receptive field (RF) estimation method - quadratic mutual information (QMI) - applied to multi-electrode array electrophysiological recordings from the mouse dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN). This estimation method provides more accurate RF estimates than the commonly used Spike-Triggered Average (STA) method, particularly in the presence of spatially correlated inputs. This improved efficiency allowed a larger number of RFs (285 vs 189 cells) to be extracted from a previously published dataset. Fitting a spatial-temporal Difference-of-Gaussians (ST-DoG) model to the RFs revealed that while the structural RF properties of ON and OFF cells are largely symmetric, there were some asymmetries apparent in the functional properties of ON and OFF visual processing streams - with OFF cells preferring higher spatial and temporal frequencies on average, and showing a greater degree of orientation selectivity.

scholarly journals Directional selectivity and its use in early visual processing

1981 ◽  
Vol 211 (1183) ◽  
pp. 151-180 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Processing ◽  
Visual Motion ◽  
Time Derivative ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Specific Model ◽  
Zero Crossings ◽  
Second Stage ◽  
Early Visual Processing ◽  
Local Direction ◽  
Zero Values

The construction of directionally selective units, and their use in the processing of visual motion, are considered. The zero crossings of ∇ 2 G(x, y) ∗ I(x, y) are located, as in Marr & Hildreth (1980). That is, the image is filtered through centre-surround receptive fields, and the zero values in the output are found. In addition, the time derivative ∂[∇ 2 G(x, y) ∗ l(x, y) ]/∂ t is measured at the zero crossings, and serves to constrain the local direction of motion to within 180°. The direction of motion can be determined in a second stage, for example by combining the local constraints. The second part of the paper suggests a specific model of the information processing by the X and Y cells of the retina and lateral geniculate nucleus, and certain classes of cortical simple cells. A number of psychophysical and neurophysiological predictions are derived from the theory.

scholarly journals Emergent orientation selectivity from random networks in mouse visual cortex

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.J. Pattadkal ◽  
G. Mato ◽  
C. van Vreeswijk ◽  
N. J. Priebe ◽  
D. Hansel
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Calcium Imaging ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Orientation Selectivity ◽  
Random Networks ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
V1 Neurons ◽  
Mouse Visual Cortex ◽  
Whole Cell Recordings ◽  
Random Connectivity

SummaryWe study the connectivity principles underlying the emergence of orientation selectivity in primary visual cortex (V1) of mammals lacking an orientation map. We present a computational model in which random connectivity gives rise to orientation selectivity that matches experimental observations. It predicts that mouse V1 neurons should exhibit intricate receptive fields in the two-dimensional frequency domain, causing shift in orientation preferences with spatial frequency. We find evidence for these features in mouse V1 using calcium imaging and intracellular whole cell recordings.

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.

Functional Properties of Cutaneous A- and C-Fibers 1–15 Months After a Nerve Lesion

2009 ◽  
Vol 102 (6) ◽  
pp. 3129-3141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Gorodetskaya ◽  
Lydia Grossmann ◽  
Cristina Constantin ◽  
Wilfrid Jänig
Keyword(s):  
Functional Properties ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Nerve Trunk ◽  
Nerve Lesion ◽  
Target Tissue ◽  
Mechanical Stimuli ◽  
Ongoing Activity ◽  
Nerve Crush ◽  
C Fibers ◽  
Almost All

The functional properties of cutaneous afferent fibers were investigated 1–15 mo after nerve lesions, which allowed regeneration into denervated skin. After crushing or transection and resuturing the rat sural nerve, ongoing activity and responses to cold, heat, and mechanical stimuli presented to the denervated skin or to the nerve distal to the lesion were examined in 273 A-fibers and 211 C-fibers. Reinnervation of skin by A-fibers was largely complete by 1–4 mo after crushing but incomplete after transection and resuturing. A few A-fibers could be activated from the nerve trunk, even after 10–15 mo. Almost all regenerated A-fibers were mechanosensitive and about 6% were cold- or heat-sensitive. A few A-fibers had ongoing activity after nerve crush. Only 15–35% of C-fibers could be activated at 1–4 mo, but 60% were excited from the skin at 10–15 mo, when many also had receptive fields within the lesioned nerve. The remaining C-fibers had receptive fields only within the nerve trunk. Responses of both intraneural and intradermal endings of C-fibers could be classified into functional groups similar to those of C-fibers in control nerves to cutaneous stimuli. The frequency of afferent C-fibers with ongoing activity that were not highly cold sensitive was 45%. We conclude that the functional characteristics of afferent A- and C-fibers are expressed by regenerating nerve endings, even when they do not reinnervate their target tissue. The reinnervation of skin by afferent C-fibers is extremely slow and may never recover to normal.

scholarly journals Spatial precision of population activity in primate area MT

2015 ◽  
Vol 114 (2) ◽  
pp. 869-878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Spencer C. Chen ◽  
John W. Morley ◽  
Samuel G. Solomon
Keyword(s):  
Neural Activity ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Object Motion ◽  
Spatial Position ◽  
Multielectrode Arrays ◽  
Visual World ◽  
Population Activity ◽  
Area Mt ◽  
Mt Neurons

The middle temporal (MT) area is a cortical area integral to the “where” pathway of primate visual processing, signaling the movement and position of objects in the visual world. The receptive field of a single MT neuron is sensitive to the direction of object motion but is too large to signal precise spatial position. Here, we asked if the activity of MT neurons could be combined to support the high spatial precision required in the where pathway. With the use of multielectrode arrays, we recorded simultaneously neural activity at 24–65 sites in area MT of anesthetized marmoset monkeys. We found that although individual receptive fields span more than 5° of the visual field, the combined population response can support fine spatial discriminations (<0.2°). This is because receptive fields at neighboring sites overlapped substantially, and changes in spatial position are therefore projected onto neural activity in a large ensemble of neurons. This fine spatial discrimination is supported primarily by neurons with receptive fields flanking the target locations. Population performance is degraded (by 13–22%) when correlations in neural activity are ignored, further reflecting the contribution of population neural interactions. Our results show that population signals can provide high spatial precision despite large receptive fields, allowing area MT to represent both the motion and the position of objects in the visual world.

Spatial properties of neurons in the monkey striate cortex

1987 ◽  
Vol 231 (1263) ◽  
pp. 251-288 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Contrast Sensitivity ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Striate Cortex ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Spatial Filter ◽  
Cortical Cells ◽  
Simple Cells ◽  
Gabor Function ◽  
Difference Of Gaussians

Contrast sensitivity as a function of spatial frequency was determined for 138 neurons in the foveal region of primate striate cortex. The accuracy of three models in describing these functions was assessed by the method of least squares. Models based on difference-of-Gaussians (DOG) functions were shown to be superior to those based on the Gabor function or the second differential of a Gaussian. In the most general case of the DOG models, each subregion of a simple cell’s receptive field was constructed from a single DOG function. All the models are compatible with the classical observation that the receptive fields of simple cells are made up of spatially discrete ‘on’ and ‘off’ regions. Although the DOG-based models have more free parameters, they can account better for the variety of shapes of spatial contrast sensitivity functions observed in cortical cells and, unlike other models, they provide a detailed description of the organization of subregions of the receptive field that is consistent with the physiological constraints imposed by earlier stages in the visual pathway. Despite the fact that the DOG-based models have spatially discrete components, the resulting amplitude spectra in the frequency domain describe complex cells just as well as simple cells. The superiority of the DOG-based models as a primary spatial filter is discussed in relation to popular models of visual processing that use the Gabor function or the second differential of a Gaussian.

scholarly journals Hand placement near the visual stimulus improves orientation selectivity in V2 neurons

2015 ◽  
Vol 113 (7) ◽  
pp. 2859-2870 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn J. Perry ◽  
Lauren E. Sergio ◽  
J. Douglas Crawford ◽  
Mazyar Fallah
Keyword(s):  
Visual Processing ◽  
Neuronal Response ◽  
Oculomotor System ◽  
Orientation Selectivity ◽  
Orientation Tuning ◽  
Area V2 ◽  
Visual Enhancement ◽  
Orthogonal Orientation ◽  
Psychophysical Studies ◽  
The Brain

Often, the brain receives more sensory input than it can process simultaneously. Spatial attention helps overcome this limitation by preferentially processing input from a behaviorally-relevant location. Recent neuropsychological and psychophysical studies suggest that attention is deployed to near-hand space much like how the oculomotor system can deploy attention to an upcoming gaze position. Here we provide the first neuronal evidence that the presence of a nearby hand enhances orientation selectivity in early visual processing area V2. When the hand was placed outside the receptive field, responses to the preferred orientation were significantly enhanced without a corresponding significant increase at the orthogonal orientation. Consequently, there was also a significant sharpening of orientation tuning. In addition, the presence of the hand reduced neuronal response variability. These results indicate that attention is automatically deployed to the space around a hand, improving orientation selectivity. Importantly, this appears to be optimal for motor control of the hand, as opposed to oculomotor mechanisms which enhance responses without sharpening orientation selectivity. Effector-based mechanisms for visual enhancement thus support not only the spatiotemporal dissociation of gaze and reach, but also the optimization of vision for their separate requirements for guiding movements.

Mathematical models for the spatial receptive-field organization of nonlagged X-cells in dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of cat

2000 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 871-885 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.T. EINEVOLL ◽  
P. HEGGELUND
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Ganglion Cell ◽  
Lateral Geniculate Nucleus ◽  
Discrete Model ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Dorsal Lateral Geniculate Nucleus ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Lateral Geniculate ◽  
X Cells ◽  
Dorsal Lateral Geniculate

Spatial receptive fields of relay cells in dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) have commonly been modeled as a difference of two Gaussian functions. We present alternative models for dLGN cells which take known physiological couplings between retina and dLGN and within dLGN into account. The models include excitatory input from a single retinal ganglion cell and feedforward inhibition via intrageniculate interneurons. Mathematical formulas describing the receptive field and response to circular spot stimuli are found both for models with a finite and an infinite number of ganglion-cell inputs to dLGN neurons. The advantage of these models compared to the common difference-of-Gaussians model is that they, in addition to providing mathematical descriptions of the receptive fields of dLGN neurons, also make explicit contributions from the geniculate circuit. Moreover, the model parameters have direct physiological relevance and can be manipulated and measured experimentally. The discrete model is applied to recently published data (Ruksenas et al., 2000) on response versus spot-diameter curves for dLGN cells and for the retinal input to the cell (S-potentials). The models are found to account well for the results for the X-cells in these experiments. Moreover, predictions from the discrete model regarding receptive-field sizes of interneurons, the amount of center-surround antagonism for interneurons compared to relay cells, and distance between neighboring retinal ganglion cells providing input to interneurons, are all compatible with data available in the literature.

Orientation Selectivity Is Reduced by Monocular Deprivation in Combination With PKA Inhibitors

2002 ◽  
Vol 88 (4) ◽  
pp. 1933-1940 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris J. Beaver ◽  
Quentin S. Fischer ◽  
Qinghua Ji ◽  
Nigel W. Daw
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Critical Period ◽  
Ocular Dominance ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Direction Selectivity ◽  
Orientation Selectivity ◽  
Monocular Deprivation ◽  
Ocular Dominance Plasticity ◽  
Kinase A

We have previously shown that the protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor, 8-chloroadenosine-3′,5′–monophosphorothioate (Rp-8-Cl-cAMPS), abolishes ocular dominance plasticity in the cat visual cortex. Here we investigate the effect of this inhibitor on orientation selectivity. The inhibitor reduces orientation selectivity in monocularly deprived animals but not in normal animals. In other words, PKA inhibitors by themselves do not affect orientation selectivity, nor does monocular deprivation by itself, but monocular deprivation in combination with a PKA inhibitor does affect orientation selectivity. This result is found for the receptive fields in both deprived and nondeprived eyes. Although there is a tendency for the orientation selectivity in the nondeprived eye to be higher than the orientation selectivity in the deprived eye, the orientation selectivity in both eyes is considerably less than normal. The result is striking in animals at 4 wk of age. The effect of the monocular deprivation on orientation selectivity is reduced at 6 wk of age and absent at 9 wk of age, while the effect on ocular dominance shifts is less changed in agreement with previous results showing that the critical period for orientation/direction selectivity ends earlier than the critical period for ocular dominance. We conclude that closure of one eye in combination with inhibition of PKA reduces orientation selectivity during the period that orientation selectivity is still mutable and that the reduction in orientation selectivity is transferred to the nondeprived eye.

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