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Receptive-field properties of Q retinal ganglion cells of the cat

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2009

J.B. Troy ,
D.E. Schweitzer-Tong  and
Ch. Enroth-Cugell
J.B. Troy
Affiliation:
Biomedical Engineering Department, Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston
D.E. Schweitzer-Tong
Affiliation:
Biomedical Engineering Department, Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston
Ch. Enroth-Cugell
Affiliation:
Biomedical Engineering Department, Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston
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Abstract

The goal of this work was to provide a detailed quantitative description of the recepii ve-field properties of one of the types of rarely encountered retinal ganglion cells of cat; the cell named the Q-cell by Enroth-Cugell et al. (1983). Quantitative comparisons are made between the discharge statistics and between the spatial receptive properties of Q-cells and the most common of cat retinal ganglion cells, the X-cells. The center-surround receptive field of the Q-cell is modeled here quantitatively and the typical Q-cell is described. The temporal properties of the Q-cell receptive field were also investigated and the dynamics of the center mechanism of the Q-cell modeled quantitatively. In addition, the response vs. contrast relationship for a Q-cell at optimal spatial and temporal frequencies is shown, and Q-cells are also demonstrated to have nonlinear spatial summation somewhat like that exhibited by Y-cells, although much higher contrasts are required to reveal this nonlinear behavior. Finally, the relationship between Q-cells and Barlow and Levick's (1969) luminance units was investigated and it was found that most Q-cells could not be luminance units.

Keywords

CatW-cellsReceptive fieldsElectrophysiologyRetinal ganglion cell
Type
Research Articles
Information
Visual Neuroscience , Volume 12 , Issue 2 , March 1995 , pp. 285 - 300
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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