Reorganization of Receptive Fields of Cortical Field 21a Neurons and Formation of Responses to Moving Visual Stimuli

• Published in: Neurophysiology (New York) Vol. 44; no. 1; pp. 33 - 41
• Main Authors: Khachvankyan, D. K., Kozak, Yu. A., Kazaryan, A. L., Sharanbekyan, A. B., Vagramyan, Z. A., Kharutyunyan-Kozak, B. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01-04-2012; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Brain; Cats; Cortex; Excitability; Eyes & eyesight; Firing pattern; Light effects; Neurons; Neurosciences; Orientation; Receptive field; Sensory perception; spatial discrimination; Specialization; Visual stimuli; discharge center; field 21a; visual stimulation; extrastriate cortex; receptive field of the neuron
• ISSN: 0090-2977; 1573-9007
• DOI: 10.1007/s11062-012-9264-2

Using extracellular recording of spike activity from single neurons of field 21a of the cat neocortex, we examined in detail the spatial organization of receptive fields (RFs) of such cells after conditions of presentation of an immobile blinking light spot (a static RF) and moving visual stimuli (dynamic RFs). As was shown, the excitability of different RF subfields of a group of neurons possessing homogeneous
on–off
organization of the static RF changes significantly depended on the contrast, shape, dimension, orientation, and direction of movement of the applied mobile visual stimulus. This is manifested in changes in the number of discharge centers and shifts of their spatial localization. A hypothesis on the possible role of synchronous activation of the neurons neighboring the cell under study in the formation of an additional neuronal mechanism providing specialization of neuronal responses is proposed.