Relation of cortical areas MT and MST to pursuit eye movements. II. Differentiation of retinal from extraretinal inputs

1988 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 604-620 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. T. Newsome ◽  
R. H. Wurtz ◽  
H. Komatsu
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Visual Target ◽  
Visual Stimulation ◽  
Large Field ◽  
Visual Response ◽  
Visual Responses ◽  
Pursuit Movement ◽  
Initial Motion ◽  
Stimulation Of

1. We investigated cells in the middle temporal visual area (MT) and the medial superior temporal area (MST) that discharged during smooth pursuit of a dim target in an otherwise dark room. For each of these pursuit cells we determined whether the response during pursuit originated from visual stimulation of the retina by the pursuit target or from an extraretinal input related to the pursuit movement itself. We distinguished between these alternatives by removing the visual motion stimulus during pursuit either by blinking off the visual target briefly or by stabilizing the target on the retina. 2. In the foveal representation of MT (MTf), we found that pursuit cells usually decreased their rate of discharge during a blink or during stabilization of the visual target. The pursuit response of these cells depends on visual stimulation of the retina by the pursuit target. 3. In a dorsal-medial region of MST (MSTd), cells continued to respond during pursuit despite a blink or stabilization of the pursuit target. The pursuit response of these cells is dependent on an extraretinal input. 4. In a lateral-anterior region of MST (MST1), we found both types of pursuit cells; some, like those in MTf, were dependent on visual inputs whereas others, like those in MSTd, received an extraretinal input. 5. We observed a relationship between pursuit responses and passive visual responses. MST cells whose pursuit responses were attributable to extraretinal inputs tended to respond preferentially to large-field random-dot patterns. Some cells that preferred small spots also had an extraretinal input. 6. For 92% of the pursuit cells we studied, the pursuit response began after onset of the pursuit eye movement. A visual response preceding onset of the eye movement could be observed in many of these cells if the initial motion of the target occurred within the visual receptive field of the cell and in its preferred direction. In contrast to the pursuit response, however, this visual response was not dependent on execution of the pursuit movement. 7. For the remaining 8% of the pursuit cells, the pursuit discharge began before initiation of the pursuit eye movement. This occurred even though the initial motion of the target was outside the receptive field as mapped during fixation trials. Our data suggest, however, that such responses may be attributable to an expansion of the receptive field that accompanies enhanced visual responses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Effect of passive eye position changes on retinogeniculate transmission in the cat

1990 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 502-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Lal ◽  
M. J. Friedlander
Keyword(s):  
Firing Rate ◽  
Action Potentials ◽  
Visual Stimulation ◽  
Visual Stimuli ◽  
Eye Position ◽  
Visual Response ◽  
Nonlinear Gain ◽  
Physiological Tests ◽  
Normalized Gain ◽  
Stimulation Of

1. Extracellular recordings were made from single neurons in layer A of the left dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGNd) of anesthetized and paralyzed adult cats. Responses to retinotopically identical visual stimuli (presented through the right eye) were recorded at several positions of the left eye in its orbit. Visual stimuli consisted of drifting sinusoidal gratings of optimal temporal and spatial frequencies at twice threshold contrast. Visual stimulation of the left eye was blocked by a variety of methods, including intravitreal injection of tetrodotoxin (TTX). The change in position of the left eye was achieved by passive movements in a randomized and interleaved fashion. Of 237 neurons studied, responses were obtained from 143 neurons on 20-100 trials of identical visual stimulation at each of six eye positions. Neurons were classified as X- or Y- on the basis of a standard battery of physiological tests (primarily linearity of spatial summation and response latency to electrical stimulation of the optic chiasm). 2. The effect of eye position on the visual response of the 143 neurons was analyzed with respect to the number of action potentials elicited and the peak firing rate. Fifty-seven (40%) neurons had a significant effect [by one-factor repeated-measure analysis of variance (ANOVA), P less than 0.05] of eye position on the visual response by either criterion (number of action potentials or peak firing rate). Of these 57 neurons, 47 had a significant effect (P less than 0.05) with respect to the number of action potentials and 23 had a significant effect (P less than 0.05) by both criteria. Thus the permissive measure by either criterion and the conservative measure by both criteria resulted in 40% and 16%, respectively, of all neurons' visual responses being significantly affected by eye position. 3. For the 47 neurons with a significant effect of eye position (number of action potentials criterion), a trend analysis of eye position versus visual response showed a linear trend (P less than 0.05) for 9 neurons, a quadratic trend (P less than 0.05) for 32 neurons, and no significant trend for the 6 remaining neurons. The trends were approximated with linear and nonlinear gain fields (range of eye position change over which the visual response was modulated). The gain fields of individual neurons were compared by measuring the normalized gain (change in neuronal response per degree change of eye position). The mean normalized gain for the 47 neurons was 4.3. 4. The nonlinear gain fields were generally symmetric with respect to nasal versus temporal changes in eye position.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

scholarly journals Eye-centered visual receptive fields in the ventral intraparietal area

2014 ◽  
Vol 112 (2) ◽  
pp. 353-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaodong Chen ◽  
Gregory C. DeAngelis ◽  
Dora E. Angelaki
Keyword(s):  
Optic Flow ◽  
Reference Frames ◽  
Visual Stimulation ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Large Field ◽  
Visual Responses ◽  
Full Field ◽  
Spatial Reference Frames ◽  
Visual Receptive Fields ◽  
Ventral Intraparietal Area

The ventral intraparietal area (VIP) processes multisensory visual, vestibular, tactile, and auditory signals in diverse reference frames. We recently reported that visual heading signals in VIP are represented in an approximately eye-centered reference frame when measured using large-field optic flow stimuli. No VIP neuron was found to have head-centered visual heading tuning, and only a small proportion of cells had reference frames that were intermediate between eye- and head-centered. In contrast, previous studies using moving bar stimuli have reported that visual receptive fields (RFs) in VIP are head-centered for a substantial proportion of neurons. To examine whether these differences in previous findings might be due to the neuronal property examined (heading tuning vs. RF measurements) or the type of visual stimulus used (full-field optic flow vs. a single moving bar), we have quantitatively mapped visual RFs of VIP neurons using a large-field, multipatch, random-dot motion stimulus. By varying eye position relative to the head, we tested whether visual RFs in VIP are represented in head- or eye-centered reference frames. We found that the vast majority of VIP neurons have eye-centered RFs with only a single neuron classified as head-centered and a small minority classified as intermediate between eye- and head-centered. Our findings suggest that the spatial reference frames of visual responses in VIP may depend on the visual stimulation conditions used to measure RFs and might also be influenced by how attention is allocated during stimulus presentation.

The functional influence of nicotinic cholinergic receptors on the visual responses of neurones in the superficial superior colliculus

2000 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 283-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.E. BINNS ◽  
T.E. SALT
Keyword(s):  
Superior Colliculus ◽  
Nicotinic Receptors ◽  
Visual Stimulation ◽  
Glutamate Release ◽  
Drug Application ◽  
Receptor Activation ◽  
Visual Input ◽  
Visual Response ◽  
Visual Responses ◽  
Parabigeminal Nucleus

In the rat, the superficial gray layer (SGS) of the superior colliculus receives glutamatergic projections from the contralateral retina and from the visual cortex. A few fibers from the ipsilateral retina also directly innervate the SGS, but most of the ipsilateral visual input is provided by cholinergic afferents from the opposing parabigeminal nucleus (PBG). Thus, visual input carried by cholinergic afferents may have a functional influence on the responses of SGS neurones. When single neuronal extracellular recording and iontophoretic drug application were employed to examine this possibility, cholinergic agonists were found to depress responses to visual stimulation. Lobeline and 1-acetyl-4-methylpiperazine both depressed visually evoked activity and had a tendency to reduce the background firing rate of the neurones. Carbachol depressed the visual responses without any significant effect on the ongoing activity, while the muscarinic receptor selective agonist methacholine increased the background activity of the neurones and reduced their visual responses. Lobeline was chosen for further studies on the role of nicotinic receptors in SGS. Given that nicotinic receptors are associated with retinal terminals in SGS, and that the activation of presynaptic nicotinic receptors normally facilitates transmitter release (in this case glutamate release), the depressant effects of nicotinic agonists are intriguing. However, many retinal afferents contact inhibitory neurones in SGS; thus it is possible that the increase in glutamate release in turn facilitates the liberation of GABA which goes on to inhibit the visual responses. We therefore attempted to reverse the effects of lobeline with GABA receptor antagonists. The depressant effects of lobeline on the visual response could not be reversed by the GABAA antagonist bicuculline, but the GABAB antagonist CGP 35348 reduced the effects of lobeline. We hypothesize that cholinergic drive from the parabigeminal nucleus may activate presynaptic nicotinic receptors on retinal terminals, thereby facilitating the release of glutamate onto inhibitory neurones. Consequently GABA is released, activating GABAB receptors, and thus the ultimate effect of nicotinic receptor activation is to depress visual responses.

Effect of passive eye movement on retinogeniculate transmission in the cat

1990 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 523-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Lal ◽  
M. J. Friedlander
Keyword(s):  
Firing Rate ◽  
Spontaneous Activity ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Visual Stimulus ◽  
Action Potentials ◽  
Visual Stimuli ◽  
Dorsal Lateral Geniculate Nucleus ◽  
Visual Response ◽  
Visual Responses ◽  
Movement Effect

1. The nature and time window of interaction between passive phasic eye movement signals and visual stimuli were studied for dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGNd) neurons in the cat. Extracellular recordings were made from single neurons in layer A of the left LGNd of anesthetized paralyzed cats in response to a normalized visual stimulus presented to the right eye at each of several times of movement of the left eye. The left eye was moved passively at a fixed amplitude and velocity while varying the movement onset time with respect to the visual stimulus onset in a randomized and interleaved fashion. Visual stimuli consisted of square-wave modulated circular spots of appropriate contrast, sign, and size to elicit an optimal excitatory response when placed in the neurons' receptive-field (RF) center. 2. Interactions were analyzed for 78 neurons (33 X-neurons, 43 Y-neurons, and 2 physiologically unclassified neurons) on 25-65 trials of identical visual stimuli for each of eight times of eye movement. 3. Sixty percent (47/78) of the neurons tested had a significant eye movement effect (ANOVA, P less than 0.05) on some aspect of their visual response. Of these 47 neurons, 42 (89%) had a significant (P less than 0.05) effect of an appropriately timed eye movement on the number of action potentials, 36 (77%) had a significant effect on the mean peak firing rate, and 31 (66%) were significantly affected as evaluated by both criteria. 4. The eye movement effect on the neurons' visual responses was primarily facilitatory. Facilitation was observed for 37 (79%) of the affected neurons. For 25 of these 37 neurons (68%), the facilitation was significant (P less than 0.05) as evaluated by both criteria (number of action potentials and mean peak firing rate). Ten (21%) of the affected neurons had their visual response significantly inhibited (P less than 0.05). 5. Sixty percent (46/78) of the neurons were tested for the effect of eye movement on both visually elicited activity (visual stimulus contrast = 2 times threshold) and spontaneous activity (contrast = 0). Eye movement significantly affected the visual response of 23 (50%) of these neurons. However, spontaneous activity was significantly affected for only nine (20%) of these neurons. The interaction of the eye movement and visual signals was nonlinear. 6. Nine of 12 neurons (75%) tested had a directionally selective effect of eye movement on the visual response, with most (8/9) preferring the temporal ward direction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Corticogeniculate neurons, corticotectal neurons, and suspected interneurons in visual cortex of awake rabbits: receptive-field properties, axonal properties, and effects of EEG arousal

1987 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 977-1001 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. A. Swadlow ◽  
T. G. Weyand
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Visual Cortex ◽  
Receptive Field ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Spontaneous Firing ◽  
Visual Responses ◽  
Firing Rates ◽  
Axonal Conduction ◽  
Conduction Velocities ◽  
Stimulation Of

The intrinsic stability of the rabbit eye was exploited to enable receptive-field analysis of antidromically identified corticotectal (CT) neurons (n = 101) and corticogeniculate (CG) neurons (n = 124) in visual area I of awake rabbits. Eye position was monitored to within 1/5 degrees. We also studied the receptive-field properties of neurons synaptically activated via electrical stimulation of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGNd). Whereas most CT neurons had either complex (59%) or motion/uniform (15%) receptive fields, we also found CT neurons with simple (9%) and concentric (4%) receptive fields. Most complex CT cells were broadly tuned to both stimulus orientation and velocity, but only 41% of these cells were directionally selective. We could elicit no visual responses from 6% of CT cells, and these cells had significantly lower conduction velocities than visually responsive CT cells. The median spontaneous firing rates for all classes of CT neurons were 4-8 spikes/s. CG neurons had primarily simple (60%) and concentric (9%) receptive fields, and none of these cells had complex receptive fields. CG simple cells were more narrowly tuned to both stimulus orientation and velocity than were complex CT cells, and most (85%) were directionally selective. Axonal conduction velocities of CG neurons (mean = 1.2 m/s) were much lower than those of CT neurons (mean = 6.4 m/s), and CG neurons that were visually unresponsive (23%) had lower axonal conduction velocities than did visually responsive CG neurons. Some visually unresponsive CG neurons (14%) responded with saccadic eye movements. The median spontaneous firing rates for all classes of CG neurons were less than 1 spike/s. All neurons synaptically activated via LGNd stimulation at latencies of less than 2.0 ms had receptive fields that were not orientation selective (89% motion/uniform, 11% concentric), whereas most cells with orientation-selective receptive fields had considerably longer synaptic latencies. Most short-latency motion/uniform neurons responded to electrical stimulation of the LGNd (and visual area II) with a high-frequency burst (500-900 Hz) of three or more spikes. Action potentials of these neurons were of short duration, thresholds of synaptic activation were low, and spontaneous firing rates were the highest seen in rabbit visual cortex. These properties are similar to those reported for interneurons in several regions in mammalian central nervous system. Nonvisual sensory stimuli that resulted in electroencephalographic arousal (hippocampal theta activity) had a profound effect on the visual responses of many visual cortical neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

scholarly journals Figure-ground modulation in awake primate thalamus

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (22) ◽  
pp. 7085-7090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen E. Jones ◽  
Ian M. Andolina ◽  
Stewart D. Shipp ◽  
Daniel L. Adams ◽  
Javier Cudeiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Field ◽  
Iterative Process ◽  
Visual Stimulation ◽  
Global Analysis ◽  
Neuronal Firing ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Visual Thalamus ◽  
Feature Encoding ◽  
Response Enhancement ◽  
Stimulation Of

Figure-ground discrimination refers to the perception of an object, the figure, against a nondescript background. Neural mechanisms of figure-ground detection have been associated with feedback interactions between higher centers and primary visual cortex and have been held to index the effect of global analysis on local feature encoding. Here, in recordings from visual thalamus of alert primates, we demonstrate a robust enhancement of neuronal firing when the figure, as opposed to the ground, component of a motion-defined figure-ground stimulus is located over the receptive field. In this paradigm, visual stimulation of the receptive field and its near environs is identical across both conditions, suggesting the response enhancement reflects higher integrative mechanisms. It thus appears that cortical activity generating the higher-order percept of the figure is simultaneously reentered into the lowest level that is anatomically possible (the thalamus), so that the signature of the evolving representation of the figure is imprinted on the input driving it in an iterative process.

Effects of angiotensin II on visual neurons in the superficial laminae of the hamster's superior colliculus

1994 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1163-1173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard D. Mooney ◽  
Yi Zhang ◽  
Robert W. Rhoades
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Angiotensin Ii ◽  
Superior Colliculus ◽  
Visual Stimulation ◽  
Optic Chiasm ◽  
Superficial Layer ◽  
Receptor Subtypes ◽  
Visual Responses ◽  
Visual Neurons ◽  
Stimulation Of

AbstractSuperficial layer superior colliculus (SC) neurons were recorded extracellularly with multibarreled recording/ejecting micropipettes. Angiotensin II was delivered via micropressure ejection during visual stimulation (n = 215 cells), or during electrical stimulation of either the optic chiasm (OX; n = 150 cells) or visual cortex (CTX; n = 42 cells). Application of angiotensin II decreased visual responses of SC cells to 43.8% ± 30.7% (mean ± S.D.) and reduced responses to electrical stimulation of the OX and CTX to 58.6% ± 34.1% and 43.8% ± 30.7% of control values, respectively. Angiotensin II enhanced responses by at least 30% in only 6 cells (1.5%). Of the 35 neurons tested with both OX and CTX stimulation, the correlation of evoked response suppression by angiotensin II was highly significant (r = 0.69; P < 0.001). This suggests that the suppressive effects of angiotensin II were common to both pathways. To test whether the inhibitory effects of angiotensin II were presynaptic or postsynaptic, Mg2+ ions were ejected iontophoretically to abolish synaptic responses, and the neurons were activated by iontophoresis of glutamate and then tested with angiotensin II. Angiotensin II reduced the glutamate-evoked responses to an average 29.1% ± 21.1% of control values (n = 9 cells). This suggests that the site of action of angiotensin II is most likely postsynaptic. To identify which receptors were involved in these effects, angiotensin II was ejected concurrently with the AT1 antagonist Losartan (DUP753) or with either of two AT2 antagonists, CGP42112A or PD123177. Losartan antagonized the action of angiotensin II in 65.6% of the cells tested (n = 99) and CGP42112A and PD123177 had antagonistic effects in 58% (n = 65) and 60% (n = 5), respectively. Both classes of antagonists were tested in 29 cells; and there was no significant correlation between their effectiveness. These results suggest that both AT1, and AT2 receptors may independently mediate the suppressive effects of angiotensin II, and that collicular neurons may have either or both receptor subtypes.

Dynamic Representation of Eye Position in the Parieto-Occipital Sulcus

1999 ◽  
Vol 81 (5) ◽  
pp. 2374-2385 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Nakamura ◽  
H. H. Chung ◽  
M.S.A. Graziano ◽  
C. G. Gross
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movement ◽  
Target Location ◽  
Visual Stimulation ◽  
Eye Position ◽  
Restricted Range ◽  
Fixation Light ◽  
Dynamic Representation ◽  
Target Locations ◽  
Field Area ◽  
Stimulation Of

Dynamic representation of eye position in the parieto-occipital sulcus. Area V6A, on the anterior bank of the parieto-occipital sulcus of the monkey brain, contains neurons sensitive both to visual stimulation and to the position and movement of the eyes. We examined the effects of eye position and eye movement on the activity of V6A neurons in monkeys trained to saccade to and fixate on target locations. Forty-eight percent of the neurons responded during these tasks. The responses were not caused by the visual stimulation of the fixation light because extinguishing the fixation light had no effect. Instead the neurons responded in relation to the position of the eye during fixation. Some neurons preferred a restricted range of eye positions, whereas others had more complex and distributed eye-position fields. None of these eye-related neurons responded before or during saccades. They all responded postsaccadically during fixation on the target location. However, the neurons did not simply encode the static position of the eyes. Instead most (88%) responded best after the eye saccaded into the eye-position field and responded significantly less well when the eye made a saccade that was entirely contained within the eye-position field. Furthermore, for many eye-position cells (45%), the response was greatest immediately after the eye reached the preferred position and was significantly reduced after 500 ms of fixation. Thus these neurons preferentially encoded the initial arrival of the eye into the eye-position field rather than the continued presence or the movement of the eye within the eye-position field. Area V6A therefore contains a representation of the position of the eye in the orbit, but this representation appears to be dynamic, emphasizing the arrival of the eye at a new position.

Visual and presaccadic neuronal activity in thalamic internal medullary lamina of cat: a study of targeting

1977 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 156-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Schlag-Rey ◽  
J. Schlag
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Receptive Field ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Stimulus Presentation ◽  
Visual Responses ◽  
Stimulus Movement ◽  
The Gaze ◽  
Double Activation ◽  
Alert Cats

1. Visual responses and eye movement-related activities were studied in single neurons of the thalamic internal medullary lamina (IML) of alert cats. The animals faced a tangent screen on which stationary or moving spots of light were presented. Of 95 units, 26% discharged in relation to photic stimuli but not eye movement, 6% in relation to eye movement but not photic stimuli, and 68% in relation to both. These units were intermixed in the same region. 2. Visual responses varied from transient to sustained. IML units were not found particularly sensitive to stimulus movement when the eyes were fixed. Strong and consistent responses could be elicited by extremely dim and weakly contrasted stationary stimuli (e.g.) 3.4 mcd/m2, 2.6% of illumination background) binocularly viewed. Receptive fields (from 250 to 800 deg2) were determined, in absence of eye movements, by computing the position of effective stimuli relative to the point of fixation of the gaze. An area of greatest responsiveness in the receptive field of most units could be detected on the basis of either higher probability of response, minimum latency, greater number of spikes in initial transient burst, or stronger sustained activity. Whole fields or their areas of greatest responsiveness were located on the side toward which saccades were accompanied by increased firing of the unit. 3. On trials in which a delay occurred between stimulus presentation and the cat's targeting saccade, the majority of the units studied changed their activity twice: after the stimulus and before the eye movement. In 16 units, the presaccadic activation occurred only with targeting, not with spontaneous saccades. 4. These results suggest that cells in the IML region of the cat play a significant role in the control of visually elicited eye movements. The resemblance of these cells to the monkey's tectual cells is discussed and hypotheses are proposed a) to relate the receptive field characteristics to the targeting operation, and b) to account for the double activation--sensory and motor--of many IML cells.

scholarly journals Response properties of MST parafoveal neurons during smooth pursuit adaptation

2016 ◽  
Vol 116 (1) ◽  
pp. 210-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seiji Ono ◽  
Michael J. Mustari
Keyword(s):  
Smooth Pursuit ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Visual Motion ◽  
Visual Stimulation ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Visual Sensitivity ◽  
Large Field ◽  
Target Velocity ◽  
Visual Response ◽  
Temporal Area

Visual motion neurons in the posterior parietal cortex play a critical role in the guidance of smooth pursuit eye movements. Initial pursuit (open-loop period) is driven, in part, by visual motion signals from cortical areas, such as the medial superior temporal area (MST). The purpose of this study was to determine whether adaptation of initial pursuit gain arises because of altered visual sensitivity of neurons at the cortical level. It is well known that the visual motion response in MST is suppressed after exposure to a large-field visual motion stimulus, showing visual motion adaptation. One hypothesis is that foveal motion responses in MST are associated with smooth pursuit adaptation using a small target spot. We used a step-ramp tracking task with two steps of target velocity (double-step paradigm), which induces gain-down or gain-up adaptation. We found that after gain-down adaptation 58% of our MST visual neurons showed a significant decrease in firing rate. This was the case even though visual motion input (before the pursuit onset) from target motion was constant. Therefore, repetitive visual stimulation during the gain-down paradigm could lead to adaptive changes in the visual response. However, the time course of adaptation did not show a correlation between the visual response and pursuit behavior. These results indicate that the visual response in MST may not directly contribute to the adaptive change in pursuit initiation.

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