Abstract
A simple algorithm based on bandpass-filtering of white noise images provides good quality computer reconstruction of the cat and monkey ocular dominance and orientation column patterns. A small number of parameters control the frequency, orientation, “branchedness”, and “regularity” of the column patterns. An oriented (anisotropic) bandpass filter followed by a threshold operation models the macaque ocular dominance column pattern and cat orientation column system. An unoriented (isotropic) bandpass filter models the cat ocular dominance column pattern and the macaque orientation column system. The resemblance of computer graphic simulations produced by this algorithm and histological pattern data, is strong. Since this algorithm is very fast, we have been able to extensively explore its parameter space in order to determine filter parameters which closely match the structure of the various cortical systems. In particular, we have applied spectral analysis to our recent computer reconstruction of the macaque ocular dominance column system, and the model produced by the present algorithm is in close agreement with this detailed data analysis.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson PA, Olavarria J, Sluyters RCV (1988) The overall pattern of ocular dominance bands in cat visual cortex. J Neurosci 8:2183–2200
Blasdel G, Salama G (1986) Voltage sensitive dyes reveal a modular organisation in monkey striate cortex. Nature 321:579–585
Bracewell RN (1978) The Fourier transform and its applications. McGraw-Hill, New York
Cowan JD, Malsburg C (1985) A proposed mechanism for the origin and development of iso-orientation columns. In: Rose D, Dobson VG (eds) Models of the visual cortex. Wiley, New York, pp 462–472
Gotz KG (1987) Do “d-blob” and “l-blob” hypercolumns tessellate the monkey visual cortex. Biol Cybern 56:107–109
Gotz KG (1988) Cortical templates for the self-organization of orientation-specificd- andl-hypercolumns in monkey and cats. Biol Cybern 58:213–223
Hubel DH, Wiesel TN (1962) Receptive fields, binocular interaction, and functional architecture in cat visual cortex. J Physiol 160:106–154
Hubel DH, Wiesel TN, LeVay S (1977) Plasticity of ocular dominance columns in monkey striate cortex. Phil Trans R Soc Lond B 278:131–163
LeVay S, Hubel DH, Wiesel TN (1975) The pattern of ocular-dominance columns in macaque visual cortex revealed by a reduced silver stain. J Comp Neurol 159:559–576
LeVay S, Stryker MP, Shatz CJ (1978) Ocular dominance columns and their development in layer IV of the cat's visual cortex: a quantitative study. J Comp Neurol 179:223–244
LeVay S, Connolly M, Houde J, Van Essen DC (1985) The complete pattern of ocular dominance stripes in the striate cortex and visual field of the macaque monkey. J Neurosci 5:486–501
Linsker R (1986) From basic network principles to neural architecture. Proc Natl Acad Sci 83:8779–8783
Malsburg C (1979) Development of ocularity domains and growth behavior of axon terminals. Biol Cybern 32:49–62
Mastin GA, Watterberg PA, Mareda JF (1987) Fourier synthesis of ocean waves. IEEE Computer Graph Appl March: 16–23
Miller K, Stryker M, Keller J (1988) Network model of ocular dominance column formation: analytical results. Neural Netw 1 [Suppl 1] 266
Mountcastle VB (1957) Modality and topographic organization of single neurons of cat's somatic sensory cortex. J Neurophysiol 20:408–434
Perlin K (1985) An image synthesizer. Comput Graph 19:287–296
Schwartz EL, Merker B, Wolfson E, Shaw A (1988) Computational neuroscience: applications of computer graphics and image processing to two and three dimensional modeling of the functional architecture of visual cortex. IEEE Comput Graph Appl July: 13–28
Singer W (1981) Topographic organization of orientation columns in the cat visual cortex. Exp Brain Res 44:431–436
Swindale NV (1980) A model for the formation of ocular dominance column stripes. Proc R Soc Lond B 208:243–264
Swindale NV (1982) A model for the formation of orientation columns. Proc R Soc Lond B 215:211–230
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This work was supported by AFOSR 88-0275, the Nathan Kline Psychiatric Institute and the System Development Foundation
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rojer, A.S., Schwartz, E.L. Cat and monkey cortical columnar patterns modeled by bandpass-filtered 2D white noise. Biol. Cybern. 62, 381–391 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00197644
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00197644