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Retinotopic organization of ferret suprasylvian cortex

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2006

GINA CANTONE ,
JUN XIAO  and
JONATHAN B. LEVITT
GINA CANTONE
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, City College of the City University of New York, New York, New York Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, New York
JUN XIAO
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, City College of the City University of New York, New York, New York
JONATHAN B. LEVITT
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, City College of the City University of New York, New York, New York Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, New York
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Abstract

The retinotopic organization of striate and several extrastriate areas of ferret cortex has been established. Here we describe the representation of the visual field on the Suprasylvian visual area (Ssy). This cortical region runs mediolaterally along the posterior bank of the suprasylvian sulcus, and is distinct from adjoining areas in anatomical architecture. The Ssy lies immediately rostral to visual area 21, medial to lateral temporal areas, and lateral to posterior parietal areas. In electrophysiological experiments we made extracellular recordings in adult ferrets. We find that single and multiunit receptive fields range in size from 2 deg × 4 deg to 21 deg × 52 deg. The total visual field representation in Ssy spans over 70 deg in azimuth in the contralateral hemifield (with a small incursion into the ipsilateral hemifield), and from +36 deg to −30 deg in elevation. There are often two representations of the horizontal meridian. Furthermore, the location of the transition from upper to lower fields varies among animals. General features of topography are confirmed in anatomical experiments in which we made tracer injections into different locations in Ssy, and determined the location of retrograde label in area 17. Both isoelevation and isoazimuth lines can span substantial rostrocaudal and mediolateral distances in cortex, sometimes forming closed contours. This topography results in cortical magnifications averaging 0.07 mm/deg in elevation and 0.06 mm/deg in azimuth; however, some contours can run in such a way that it is possible to move a large distance on cortex without moving in the visual field. Because of these irregularities, Ssy contains a coarse representation of the contralateral visual field.

Keywords

ExtrastriateNeurophysiologyNeuroanatomyReceptive fieldVisual cortex
Type
Research Article
Information
Visual Neuroscience , Volume 23 , Issue 1 , January 2006 , pp. 61 - 77
Copyright
2006 Cambridge University Press

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