Effects of pattern deprivation on visual cortical cells in the rabbit: a reevaluation

The response properties of 217 cells recorded from the monocular segment of primary visual cortex in rabbits reared with lid suture of the contralateral eye (monocular deprivation, MD) were studied. These data were compared with 280 cells recorded from normal rabbits. There was no change in the percentage of orientation-selective cells, nonorientation-selective cells, or unmappable/unresponsive cells in MD animals compared with normals. Among orientation selective cells the orientation-tuning range of cells in MD animals was normal, and the predominance of cells with horizontal preferred orientation was maintained. However, some abnormalities were seen in orientation-selective cells of MD animals. These included an increased frequency of SI cells; a change in the distribution of preferred orientations; a disruption of the clustered organization of the cortex; a decrease in direction selectivity; an increase in the percentage of cells preferring slow stimulus movements and having low spontaneous activity; an increase in receptive-field size in all cell classes except SI. Among nonorientation-selective cells there was an increase in the percentage of movement sensitive cells and an increase in receptive-field size in MD animals. It is concluded that the effects of MD are much less severe in rabbit than in cat. In MD rabbits, many cells develop normally. In cells that do not develop normally, many of the changes observed can be interpreted as reflecting deficits in inhibitory functions.