Visual receptive field properties in the posterior suprasylvian cortex of the cat: a comparison between the areas PMLS and PLLS

Abstract

Receptive field (RF) properties of single units were examined in two visual areas in the cat's postero-medial and postero-lateral suprasylvian cortex (PMLS/PLLS). Electrophysiological recordings were made in the paralyzed and anesthetized preparation in corresponding regions of the medial and lateral banks of the lateral suprasylvian sulcus (LS). In both areas, cell samples were obtained from within the same range of A/P co-ordinates. In both samples, cells responded best to moving stimuli, had large RF's, and did not differ with respect to the distributions of their ocular dominance. Binocularity was equally high, but units in PLLS showed significantly less binocular summation. Cells in both areas preferred high velocities, and a high percentage was direction selective, with directions up and away from the vertical meridian being most common. While in PMLS the preferred direction of a unit usually could be classified into a "radial" vs a "circular" category when RF position was taken into account, this was not possible in PLLS. Units in PLLS also had significantly higher spontaneous activity, higher optimal velocity, and larger RF sizes. In PLLS the investigation of background-foreground interactions revealed a large variety of phase-dependent responses. This is in contrast to the clear preponderance of in-phase inhibition and antiphase facilitation effects in PMLS. The results indicate important differences of RF properties for the two areas, but do not yet suggest a clear functional differentiation. These differences reflect in some respects the RF properties of cells in the structures that provide the main afferents to the two areas.