scholarly journals Orientation Tuning, But Not Direction Selectivity, Is Invariant to Temporal Frequency in Primary Visual Cortex

2005 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 1336-1345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bartlett D. Moore ◽  
Henry J. Alitto ◽  
W. Martin Usrey
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Primary Visual Cortex ◽  
Visual Stimulus ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Temporal Frequency ◽  
Direction Selectivity ◽  
Orientation Tuning ◽  
Orientation Contrast ◽  
Wide Range

The activity of neurons in primary visual cortex is influenced by the orientation, contrast, and temporal frequency of a visual stimulus. This raises the question of how these stimulus properties interact to shape neuronal responses. While past studies have shown that the bandwidth of orientation tuning is invariant to stimulus contrast, the influence of temporal frequency on orientation-tuning bandwidth is unknown. Here, we investigate the influence of temporal frequency on orientation tuning and direction selectivity in area 17 of ferret visual cortex. For both simple cells and complex cells, measures of orientation-tuning bandwidth (half-width at half-maximum response) are ∼20–25° across a wide range of temporal frequencies. Thus cortical neurons display temporal-frequency invariant orientation tuning. In contrast, direction selectivity is typically reduced, and occasionally reverses, at nonpreferred temporal frequencies. These results show that the mechanisms contributing to the generation of orientation tuning and direction selectivity are differentially affected by the temporal frequency of a visual stimulus and support the notion that stability of orientation tuning is an important aspect of visual processing.

scholarly journals Influence of Contrast on Orientation and Temporal Frequency Tuning in Ferret Primary Visual Cortex

2004 ◽  
Vol 91 (6) ◽  
pp. 2797-2808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry J. Alitto ◽  
W. Martin Usrey
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Primary Visual Cortex ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Frequency Tuning ◽  
Temporal Frequency ◽  
Orientation Tuning ◽  
Visual Response ◽  
Stimulus Contrast ◽  
Tuning Curves ◽  
Simple And Complex Cells

Neurons in primary visual cortex are highly sensitive to the contrast, orientation, and temporal frequency of a visual stimulus. These three stimulus properties can be varied independently of one another, raising the question of how they interact to influence neuronal responses. We recorded from individual neurons in ferret primary visual cortex to determine the influence of stimulus contrast on orientation tuning, temporal-frequency tuning, and latency to visual response. Results show that orientation-tuning bandwidth is not affected by contrast level. Thus neurons in ferret visual cortex display contrast-invariant orientation tuning. Stimulus contrast does, however, influence the structure of orientation-tuning curves as measures of circular variance vary inversely with contrast for both simple and complex cells. This change in circular variance depends, in part, on a contrast-dependent change in the ratio of null to preferred orientation responses. Stimulus contrast also has an influence on the temporal-frequency tuning of cortical neurons. Both simple and complex cells display a contrast-dependent rightward shift in their temporal frequency-tuning curves that results in an increase in the highest temporal frequency needed to produce a half-maximum response (TF50). Results show that the degree of the contrast-dependent increase in TF50 is similar for cortical neurons and neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and indicate that subcortical mechanisms likely play a major role in establishing the degree of effect displayed by downstream neurons. Finally, results show that LGN and cortical neurons experience a contrast-dependent phase advance in their visual response. This phase advance is most pronounced for cortical neurons indicating a role for both subcortical and cortical mechanisms.

scholarly journals A theory of direction selectivity for Macaque primary visual cortex

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Logan Chariker ◽  
Robert Shapley ◽  
Michael Hawken ◽  
Lai-Sang Young
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Primary Visual Cortex ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Temporal Frequency ◽  
Broad Band ◽  
Cortical Cell ◽  
Direction Selectivity ◽  
Complete Analysis ◽  
Visual Response ◽  
Response Dynamics

This paper offers a new theory for the origin of direction selectivity in the Macaque primary visual cortex, V1. Direction selectivity (DS) is essential for the perception of motion and control of pursuit eye movements. In the Macaque visual pathway, DS neurons first appear in V1, in the Simple cell population of the Magnocellular input layer 4Ca. The LGN cells that project to these cortical neurons, however, are not direction-selective. We hypothesize that DS is initiated in feedforward LGN input, in the summed responses of LGN cells afferent to a cortical cell, and it is achieved through the interplay of (a) different visual response dynamics of ON and OFF LGN cells, and (b) the wiring of ON and OFF LGN neurons to cortex. We identify specific temporal differences in the ON/OFF pathways that together with (b) produce distinct response time-courses in separated subregions; analysis and simulations confirm the efficacy of the mechanisms proposed. To constrain the theory, we present data on Simple cells in layer 4Ca in response to drifting gratings. About half of the cells were found to have high DS, and the DS was broad-band in spatial and temporal frequency (SF and TF). The proposed theory includes a complete analysis of how stimulus features such as SF and TF interact with ON/OFF dynamics and LGN-to-cortex wiring to determine the preferred direction and magnitude of DS.

scholarly journals A theory of direction selectivity for macaque primary visual cortex

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (32) ◽  
pp. e2105062118
Author(s):  
Logan Chariker ◽  
Robert Shapley ◽  
Michael Hawken ◽  
Lai-Sang Young
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Primary Visual Cortex ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Temporal Frequency ◽  
Cortical Cell ◽  
Direction Selectivity ◽  
Complete Analysis ◽  
Visual Response ◽  
Response Dynamics ◽  
Preferred Direction

This paper offers a theory for the origin of direction selectivity (DS) in the macaque primary visual cortex, V1. DS is essential for the perception of motion and control of pursuit eye movements. In the macaque visual pathway, neurons with DS first appear in V1, in the Simple cell population of the Magnocellular input layer 4Cα. The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) cells that project to these cortical neurons, however, are not direction selective. We hypothesize that DS is initiated in feed-forward LGN input, in the summed responses of LGN cells afferent to a cortical cell, and it is achieved through the interplay of 1) different visual response dynamics of ON and OFF LGN cells and 2) the wiring of ON and OFF LGN neurons to cortex. We identify specific temporal differences in the ON/OFF pathways that, together with item 2, produce distinct response time courses in separated subregions; analysis and simulations confirm the efficacy of the mechanisms proposed. To constrain the theory, we present data on Simple cells in layer 4Cα in response to drifting gratings. About half of the cells were found to have high DS, and the DS was broadband in spatial and temporal frequency (SF and TF). The proposed theory includes a complete analysis of how stimulus features such as SF and TF interact with ON/OFF dynamics and LGN-to-cortex wiring to determine the preferred direction and magnitude of DS.

scholarly journals Temporo-nasally biased moving grating selectivity in mouse primary visual cortex

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Tolkiehn ◽  
Simon R. Schultz
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Primary Visual Cortex ◽  
Moving Objects ◽  
Direction Selectivity ◽  
Orientation Tuning ◽  
High Signal ◽  
Forward Movement ◽  
Upward Moving

AbstractOrientation tuning in mouse primary visual cortex (V1) has long been reported to have a random or “salt-and-pepper” organisation, lacking the structure found in cats and primates. Laminar in-vivo multi-electrode array recordings here reveal previously elusive structure in the representation of visual patterns in the mouse visual cortex, with temporo-nasally drifting gratings eliciting consistently highest neuronal responses across cortical layers and columns, whilst upward moving gratings reliably evoked the lowest activities. We suggest this bias in direction selectivity to be behaviourally relevant as objects moving into the visual field from the side or behind may pose a predatory threat to the mouse whereas upward moving objects do not. We found furthermore that direction preference and selectivity was affected by stimulus spatial frequency, and that spatial and directional tuning curves showed high signal correlations decreasing with distance between recording sites. In addition, we show that despite this bias in direction selectivity, it is possible to decode stimulus identity and that spatiotemporal features achieve higher accuracy in the decoding task whereas spike count or population counts are sufficient to decode spatial frequencies implying different encoding strategies.Significance statementWe show that temporo-nasally drifting gratings (i.e. opposite the normal visual flow during forward movement) reliably elicit the highest neural activity in mouse primary visual cortex, whereas upward moving gratings reliably evoke the lowest responses. This encoding may be highly behaviourally relevant, as objects approaching from the periphery may pose a threat (e.g. predators), whereas upward moving objects do not. This is a result at odds with the belief that mouse primary visual cortex is randomly organised. Further to this biased representation, we show that direction tuning depends on the underlying spatial frequency and that tuning preference is spatially correlated both across layers and columns and decreases with cortical distance, providing evidence for structural organisation in mouse primary visual cortex.

scholarly journals Pure tones modulate the representation of orientation and direction in the primary visual cortex

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (6) ◽  
pp. 2202-2214 ◽  
Author(s):  
John P. McClure ◽  
Pierre-Olivier Polack
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Primary Visual Cortex ◽  
Visual Stimulus ◽  
Visual Stimuli ◽  
Direction Selectivity ◽  
Multimodal Integration ◽  
Visual Responses ◽  
V1 Neurons ◽  
Pure Tones ◽  
The Impact

Multimodal sensory integration facilitates the generation of a unified and coherent perception of the environment. It is now well established that unimodal sensory perceptions, such as vision, are improved in multisensory contexts. Whereas multimodal integration is primarily performed by dedicated multisensory brain regions such as the association cortices or the superior colliculus, recent studies have shown that multisensory interactions also occur in primary sensory cortices. In particular, sounds were shown to modulate the responses of neurons located in layers 2/3 (L2/3) of the mouse primary visual cortex (V1). Yet, the net effect of sound modulation at the V1 population level remained unclear. In the present study, we performed two-photon calcium imaging in awake mice to compare the representation of the orientation and the direction of drifting gratings by V1 L2/3 neurons in unimodal (visual only) or multimodal (audiovisual) conditions. We found that sound modulation depended on the tuning properties (orientation and direction selectivity) and response amplitudes of V1 L2/3 neurons. Sounds potentiated the responses of neurons that were highly tuned to the cue’s orientation and direction but weakly active in the unimodal context, following the principle of inverse effectiveness of multimodal integration. Moreover, sound suppressed the responses of neurons untuned for the orientation and/or the direction of the visual cue. Altogether, sound modulation improved the representation of the orientation and direction of the visual stimulus in V1 L2/3. Namely, visual stimuli presented with auditory stimuli recruited a neuronal population better tuned to the visual stimulus orientation and direction than when presented alone. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The primary visual cortex (V1) receives direct inputs from the primary auditory cortex. Yet, the impact of sounds on visual processing in V1 remains controverted. We show that the modulation by pure tones of V1 visual responses depends on the orientation selectivity, direction selectivity, and response amplitudes of V1 neurons. Hence, audiovisual stimuli recruit a population of V1 neurons better tuned to the orientation and direction of the visual stimulus than unimodal visual stimuli.

The role of ipsilateral and contralateral inputs from primary cortex in responses of area 21a neurons in cats

1994 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 839-849 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Michalski ◽  
B. M. Wimborne ◽  
G. H. Henry
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Primary Visual Cortex ◽  
Tuning Curve ◽  
Excitatory Input ◽  
Direction Selectivity ◽  
Orientation Tuning ◽  
Inhibitory Input ◽  
Area 21A ◽  
Areas 17 And 18 ◽  
Orientation Specificity

AbstractNeuronal responses in cat visual area 21a were analyzed when the primary visual cortex (areas 17 and 18) was deactivated by cooling. Ipsilateral and contralateral cortices were deactivated separately. Results established that (1) cooling the ipsilateral primary cortex diminished the activity of all area 21a cells and, in 30%, blocked responsiveness altogether, and (2) cooling the contralateral primary cortex initially increased activity in area 21a cells but, with further cooling, reduced it to below the original level although only 9% of cells ceased responding. These findings were then compared to earlier results in which bilateral deactivation of the primary cortex greatly reduced and, in most cases, blocked the activity of area 21a cells (Michalski et al., 1993). Despite the response attenuation following cooling of the primary visual cortex (either ipsilateral or contralateral), neurons of area 21a retained their original orientation specificity and sharpness of tuning (measured as the half-width at half-height of the orientation tuning curve). Direction selectivity also tended to remain unchanged. We concluded that for area 21a cells (1) the ipsilateral primary cortex provides the main excitatory input; (2) the contralateral primary cortex supplies a large inhibitory input; and (3) the nature of orientation specificity, sharpness of orientation tuning, and direction selectivity are largely unaffected by removal of the ipsilateral hemisphere excitatory input or the contralateral hemisphere inhibitory input.

Complex motion selectivity in PMLS cortex following early lesions of primary visual cortex in the cat

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.G. OUELLETTE ◽  
K. MINVILLE ◽  
D. BOIRE ◽  
M. PTITO ◽  
C. CASANOVA
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Primary Visual Cortex ◽  
Visual Motion ◽  
Neuronal Response ◽  
Temporal Frequency ◽  
Limited Range ◽  
Direction Selectivity ◽  
Motion Processing ◽  
Complex Motion ◽  
Visual Motion Cues

In the cat, the analysis of visual motion cues has generally been attributed to the posteromedial lateral suprasylvian cortex (PMLS) (Toyama et al., 1985; Rauschecker et al., 1987; Rauschecker, 1988; Kim et al., 1997). The responses of neurons in this area are not critically dependent on inputs from the primary visual cortex (VC), as lesions of VC leave neuronal response properties in PMLS relatively unchanged (Spear & Baumann, 1979; Spear, 1988; Guido et al., 1990b). However, previous studies have used a limited range of visual stimuli. In this study, we assessed whether neurons in PMLS cortex remained direction-selective to complex motion stimuli following a lesion of VC, particularly to complex random dot kinematograms (RDKs). Unilateral aspiration of VC was performed on post-natal days 7–9. Single unit extracellular recordings were performed one year later in the ipsilateral PMLS cortex. As in previous studies, a reduction in the percentage of direction selective neurons was observed with drifting sinewave gratings. We report a previously unobserved phenomenon with sinewave gratings, in which there is a greater modulation of firing rate at the temporal frequency of the stimulus in animals with a lesion of VC, suggesting an increased segregation of ON and OFF sub-regions. A significant portion of neurons in PMLS cortex were direction selective to simple (16/18) and complex (11/16) RDKs. However, the strength of direction selectivity to both stimuli was reduced as compared to normals. The data suggest that complex motion processing is still present, albeit reduced, in PMLS cortex despite the removal of VC input. The complex RDK motion selectivity is consistent with both geniculo-cortical and extra-geniculate thalamo-cortical pathways in residual direction encoding.

scholarly journals Functional clusters of neurons in layer 6 of macaque V1

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J Hawken ◽  
Robert M Shapley ◽  
Anita A Disney ◽  
Virginia Garcia-Marin ◽  
JA Henrie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Primary Visual Cortex ◽  
Temporal Frequency ◽  
Direction Selectivity ◽  
Frequency Bandwidth ◽  
Parallel Circuits ◽  
Response Measures ◽  
Visual Properties ◽  
Parameter Distributions

AbstracLayer 6 appears to perform a very important role in the function of macaque primary visual cortex, V1, but not enough is understood about the functional characteristics of neurons in the layer 6 population. It is unclear to what extent the population is homogeneous with respect to their visual properties or if one can identify distinct sub-populations. Here we performed a cluster analysis based on measurements of the responses of single neurons in layer 6 of primary visual cortex to achromatic grating stimuli that varied in orientation, direction of motion, spatial and temporal frequency, and contrast. The visual stimuli were presented in a stimulus window that was also varied in size. Using the responses to parametric variation in these stimulus variables we extracted a number of tuning response measures and used them in the cluster analysis. Six main clusters emerged along with some smaller clusters. Additionally we asked whether parameter distributions from each of the clusters were statistically different. There were clear separations of parameters between some of the clusters, particularly for f1/f0 ratio, direction selectivity, and temporal frequency bandwidth but other dimensions also showed differences between clusters. Our data suggest that in layer 6, across the spatial extent of a single cortical hypercolumn, there are multiple parallel circuits that provide information about different aspects of the visual stimulus.

Cortical Maps of Separable Tuning Properties Predict Population Responses to Complex Visual Stimuli

2005 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 775-787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanya I. Baker ◽  
Naoum P. Issa
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Spatial Frequency ◽  
Primary Visual Cortex ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Frequency Tuning ◽  
Temporal Frequency ◽  
Sinusoidal Grating ◽  
Cortical Organization ◽  
Moving Images ◽  
Spatial Parameters

In the earliest cortical stages of visual processing, a scene is represented in different functional domains selective for specific features. Maps of orientation and spatial frequency preference have been described in the primary visual cortex using simple sinusoidal grating stimuli. However, recent imaging experiments suggest that the maps of these two spatial parameters are not sufficient to describe patterns of activity in different orientation domains generated in response to complex, moving stimuli. A model of cortical organization is presented in which cortical temporal frequency tuning is superimposed on the maps of orientation and spatial frequency tuning. The maps of these three tuning properties are sufficient to describe the activity in orientation domains that have been measured in response to drifting complex images. The model also makes specific predictions about how moving images are represented in different spatial frequency domains. These results suggest that the tangential organization of primary visual cortex can be described by a set of maps of separable neuronal receptive field features including maps of orientation, spatial frequency, and temporal frequency tuning properties.

scholarly journals The influence of surround suppression on adaptation effects in primary visual cortex

2012 ◽  
Vol 107 (12) ◽  
pp. 3370-3384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie C. Wissig ◽  
Adam Kohn
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Receptive Field ◽  
Primary Visual Cortex ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Orientation Tuning ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
Specific Suppression ◽  
Neurophysiological Studies ◽  
And Shifts ◽  
Adaptation Effects

Adaptation, the prolonged presentation of stimuli, has been used to probe mechanisms of visual processing in physiological, imaging, and perceptual studies. Previous neurophysiological studies have measured adaptation effects by using stimuli tailored to evoke robust responses in individual neurons. This approach provides an incomplete view of how an adapter alters the representation of sensory stimuli by a population of neurons with diverse functional properties. We implanted microelectrode arrays in primary visual cortex (V1) of macaque monkeys and measured orientation tuning and contrast sensitivity in populations of neurons before and after prolonged adaptation. Whereas previous studies in V1 have reported that adaptation causes stimulus-specific suppression of responsivity and repulsive shifts in tuning preference, we have found that adaptation can also lead to response facilitation and shifts in tuning toward the adapter. To explain this range of effects, we have proposed and tested a simple model that employs stimulus-specific suppression in both the receptive field and the spatial surround. The predicted effects on tuning depend on the relative drive provided by the adapter to these two receptive field components. Our data reveal that adaptation can have a much richer repertoire of effects on neuronal responsivity and tuning than previously considered and suggest an intimate mechanistic relationship between spatial and temporal contextual effects.

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