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A comparison of the shift response of X- and Y-cells in the cat's retina

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Summary

The shift response (McIlwain or peripheral effect) was elicited by either flashing or shifting a grating while the receptive field (RF) was covered by a 30 ° mask in the cat. The responses elicited by shifting the grating was comparable to that elicited by flashing the grating. In 10% of the units, the on- and off-responses elicited by flashing the grating were unequal in amplitude. The larger response corresponded with the light phase which leads to excitation of the surround mechanism of the RF. The maximum firing rates of the shift response did not differ in the different types of units, but the amplitude of the shift response (maximum-maintained firing rates) was significantly larger in Y-cells. For all types of cells, the amplitude of the shift response increased with greater eccentricity of the RF. A strong inhibitory period was found in on-center Y-cells but not in the other types of cells. The latency of the shift response was significantly shorter in Y-cells. The differences in the responses of X- and Y-cells suggest that the lateral pathways used are different for the X- and Y-cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. William L. McKnight Vision Research Center, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Dept. of Ophthalmology, University of Miami, School of Medicine, 33101, Miami, FL, USA

    D. I. Hamasaki & I. Hanada

Authors
  1. D. I. Hamasaki
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  2. I. Hanada
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Additional information

Supported in part by Public Health Service Grant EY-00376 from the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md

Supported in part by a grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., New York, NY

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Hamasaki, D.I., Hanada, I. A comparison of the shift response of X- and Y-cells in the cat's retina. Exp Brain Res 50, 117–124 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00238238

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00238238

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