Skip to main content
Log in

Spatial summation of signals and adaptation by the surround response mechanism of cat retinal ganglion cells

  • Published:
Experimental Brain Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The summing properties of the surround response mechanism of cat retinal ganglion cells were assessed by determining area-sensitivity and area-adaptation curves. The two curves were found to be similar for X and Y cells but for many Y cells adaptive sensitivity was found to be dependent upon the size of the test target. These results suggest that, for X cells, the retinal area over which the surround integrates signals and adaptation are spatially coextensive. Most Y cells appear to pool adaptive effects over a smaller region than they pool signals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bishop PO, Rodieck RW (1965) Proceedings of the symposium on information processing in sight sensory systems. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, pp 116–127

    Google Scholar 

  • Burkhardt DA, Bernston GG (1977) Light adaptation and excitation. Lateral spread of signals within the frog retina. Vision Res 12: 1095–1111

    Google Scholar 

  • Cleland BG, Enroth-Cugell C (1968) Quantitative aspects of sensitivity and summation in the cat retina. J Physiol (Lond) 198: 17–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Cleland BG, Dubin MW, Levick WR (1972) Sustained and transient neurons in the cat's retina and lateral geniculate nucleus. J Physiol (Lond) 217: 473–496

    Google Scholar 

  • Easter SS (1968) Adaptation in the goldfish retina. J Physiol (Lond) 195: 273–281

    Google Scholar 

  • Enroth-Cugell C, Lennie P (1975) The control of retinal ganglion cell discharge by receptive field surrounds. J Physiol (Lond) 247: 551–578

    Google Scholar 

  • Enroth-Cugell C, Pinto LH (1972) Properties of the surround response mechanisms of cat retinal ganglion cells and center-surround interaction. J Physiol (Lond) 220: 403–440

    Google Scholar 

  • Enroth-Cugell C, Robson JG (1966) The contrast sensitivity of retinal ganglion cells of the cat. J Physiol (Lond) 187: 517–522

    Google Scholar 

  • Enroth-Cugell C, Shapley RM (1973) Adaptation and dynamics of cat retinal ganglion cells. J Physiol (Lond) 223: 271–304

    Google Scholar 

  • Green DG, Tong L, Cicerone CM (1977) Lateral spread of light adaptation in the rat retina. Vision Res 17: 479–486

    Google Scholar 

  • Harding T (1977) Field adaptation and signal summation within the receptive field center of cat retinal ganglion cells. Ph. D. dissertation, Purdue University

  • Hochstein S, Shapley RM (1976) Quantitative analysis of retinal ganglion cell classifications. J Physiol (Lond) 262: 237–264

    Google Scholar 

  • Lipetz LE (1961) A mechanism of light adaptation. Science 155: 639–640

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson R (1977) Cat cones have rod input. A comparison of the response properties of cones and horizontal cell bodies in the retina of the cat. J Comp Neurol 172: 109–136

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodieck, RW, Stone J (1965) Analysis of receptive fields of cat retinal ganglion cells. J Neurophysiol 28: 833–849

    Google Scholar 

  • Rushton WAH (1965) The ferrier lecture, 1962, Visual adaptation. Proc R Soc Br 162: 20–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Sakmann B, Creutzfeldt O, Scheich H (1969) An experimental comparison between the ganglion cell receptive field and the receptive field of the adaptation pool. Pflügers Arch Gesamte Physiol Menschen Tiere 307: 133–137

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinberg RH (1969) Rod and cone contributons to S-potentials from the cat retina. Vision Res 9: 1319–1329

    Google Scholar 

  • Stone J, Fabian M (1968) Summing properties of the cat's retinal ganglion cell. Vision Res 9: 333–350

    Google Scholar 

  • Tong L, Green DG (1977) Adaption pools and excitation receptive fields of retinal ganglion cells. Vision Res 17: 1233–1236

    Google Scholar 

  • Wuttke W, Grusser OJ (1966) Die funktionelle Organisation der rezeptiven Felder von on-Zentrum-Neuronen der Katzenretina. Pflügers Arch Gesamte Physiol Menschen Tiere 289: 83

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Supported by NEI grant No. EY 00701

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cohen, H.I., Christen, W.G. & Winters, R.W. Spatial summation of signals and adaptation by the surround response mechanism of cat retinal ganglion cells. Exp Brain Res 44, 207–212 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00237342

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00237342

Key words

Navigation