Influence of the presentation of remote visual stimuli on visual responses of cat area 17 and lateral suprasylvian area

Abstract

Single units were recorded extracellularly from area 17 and lateral suprasylvian area (LSSA) in curarized cats. Visual stimuli, usually a 10 degree black spot, were introduced abruptly in the visual field remote from the discharge area of a neuron's receptive field and moved at a speed of about 30 degrees/sec. The effect of these remote stimuli (S2) on the reponse to a restricted visual stimulus (S1) crossing the discharge area was studied. It was found that most units in area 17 were not affected by the presentation of remote stimuli, the remainder being either slightly facilitated or slightly inhibited. In contrast the LSSA neurons were usually inhibited by the presentation of S2: this effect was strong, was present in all classes of LSSA neurons and was independent of the relative directions of movement of S1 and S2. On the basis of these data and those previously obtained from the superior colliculus it is concluded that the way the extrageniculate centres respond to a stimulus abruptly introduced in the visual field is substantially different from that of the striate cortex. Only in the extrageniculate centres a new stimulus, besides exciting the neurons which correspond to the position of the stimulus in the field, concomitantly decreases the responses of neurons located in positions of the visual field remote from that stimulus. Possible behavioral implications of the findings are discussed.