Spatial disparity coding in the superior colliculus of the cat

被引:22
作者
Bacon, BA
Villemagne, J
Bergeron, A
Lepore, F
Guillemot, JP
机构
[1] Univ Montreal, Grp Rech Neuropsychol Expt, Dept Psychol, Montreal, PQ H3C 3J7, Canada
[2] Univ Quebec, Dept Kinanthropol, Montreal, PQ H3C 3P8, Canada
基金
加拿大自然科学与工程研究理事会;
关键词
disparity sensitivity; binocular interactions; superior colliculus; stereopsis; cat;
D O I
10.1007/s002210050349
中图分类号
Q189 [神经科学];
学科分类号
071006 ;
摘要
Cells in the superficial layers of the superior colliculus of the cat have mainly binocular receptive fields. The aim of the present experiment was to investigate the sensitivity of these cells to horizontal spatial disparity. Unit recordings were carried out in the superficial layers of the superior colliculus of paralyzed and anesthetized cats, Centrally located receptive fields were mapped, separated using prisms, and then stimulated simultaneously using two luminous bars optimally adjusted to the size of the excitatory region of the receptive fields. Only binocular cells were tested, and 65% of these units were found to be sensitive to spatial disparities. Some cells (20%) were clearly insensitive to spatial disparity and the remaining 15% showed complex, unclassifiable interactions. The sensitive cells could be divided into four classes based on their disparity-sensitivity profiles: 38% showed excitatory interactions, whereas 9% showed inhibitory interactions. Moreover, 11% and 7% of the cells responded, respectively, to crossed or uncrossed disparities, and were classified as near cells and far cells. Whereas the general shapes of the sensitivity profiles were similar to those of cells in areas 17-18, selectivity in the superior colliculus was significantly coarser. The superficial layers of the superior colliculus project topographically to the deep layers of the superior colliculus, which are known to contain circuits involved in the control of ocular movements. The results thus suggest that disparity-sensitive cells of the superior colliculus could feed information to these oculomotor neurons, allowing for the localization and fixation of objects on the appropriate plane of vision.
引用
收藏
页码:333 / 344
页数:12
相关论文
共 97 条
[11]  
BURKHALTER A, 1986, J NEUROSCI, V6, P2327
[12]  
CAMARDA RM, 1985, EXP BRAIN RES, V60, P136
[13]   BINOCULAR VISUAL MECHANISMS IN CORTICAL AREA-1 AND AREA-2 OF SHEEP [J].
CLARKE, PGH ;
DONALDSON, IML ;
WHITTERIDGE, D .
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON, 1976, 256 (03) :509-526
[14]   GLOBAL STEREOPSIS IN RHESUS-MONKEYS [J].
COWEY, A ;
PARKINSON, AM ;
WARNICK, L .
QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY, 1975, 27 (FEB) :93-109
[15]  
DIAS EC, 1991, EXP BRAIN RES, V87, P546
[16]   NONLINEAR DIRECTIONALLY SELECTIVE SUBUNITS IN COMPLEX CELLS OF CAT STRIATE CORTEX [J].
EMERSON, RC ;
CITRON, MC ;
VAUGHN, WJ ;
KLEIN, SA .
JOURNAL OF NEUROPHYSIOLOGY, 1987, 58 (01) :33-65
[17]   TOPOGRAPHY OF RETINAL PROJECTION UPON SUPERIOR COLLICULUS OF CAT [J].
FELDON, S ;
FELDON, P ;
KRUGER, L .
VISION RESEARCH, 1970, 10 (02) :135-&
[18]   RECEPTIVE-FIELD PROPERTIES OF NEURONS IN AREA V3 OF MACAQUE MONKEY EXTRASTRIATE CORTEX [J].
FELLEMAN, DJ ;
VANESSEN, DC .
JOURNAL OF NEUROPHYSIOLOGY, 1987, 57 (04) :889-920
[19]   IMPROVED METHOD FOR PLOTTING RETINAL LANDMARKS AND FOCUSING EYES [J].
FERNALD, R ;
CHASE, R .
VISION RESEARCH, 1971, 11 (01) :95-&
[20]   A COMPARISON OF BINOCULAR DEPTH MECHANISMS IN AREAS 17 AND 18 OF THE CAT VISUAL-CORTEX [J].
FERSTER, D .
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON, 1981, 311 (FEB) :623-655