Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Physiology logoLink to The Journal of Physiology
. 1983 Nov;344:399–417. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1983.sp014948

Spatial contrast sensitivities of X and Y type neurones in the cat's dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus.

J B Troy
PMCID: PMC1193849  PMID: 6655588

Abstract

The discharges of X and Y type neurones were recorded extracellularly from the binocular segment of the A laminae of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of anaesthetized, paralysed cats. X type geniculate cells are referred to as XG cells and Y type geniculate cells as YG cells. They were differentiated on the basis of a test of linear spatial summation and the relatively higher spatial resolution of the XG type. Contrast sensitivities of these cells were measured for a series of spatial frequencies at 5.2 Hz. Sensitivity measurements took account of the variability inherent in the cells' maintained discharges. Maintained discharges of XG and YG cells were found to be similarly noisy and the level of noise was stable in the time range of seconds to hours. The noise level was greater than in corresponding ganglion cells, suggesting that an extra source of noise is added at the geniculate level. The criterion set routinely to measure 'threshold' contrast corresponded to a level of reliability of about two false positives in fifty. YG cells had higher contrast sensitivities at low spatial frequencies and XG at high. YG cells were found also to have higher peak sensitivities. The optimum spatial frequency of XG cells was found to be higher than that of YG cells. YG cells also show less attenuation in contrast sensitivity for gratings of spatial frequencies below their optima. Contrast sensitivities of both XG and YG cells were found to be lower than those of corresponding ganglion cells. The optimum spatial frequencies and spatial resolutions of XG and YG cells decreased as the retinal eccentricities of their receptive fields increased. XG cells were found to have higher spatial resolution in lamina A than lamina A1. No difference was found between on- and off-centre types of either cell class. Although individual YG cells are more sensitive to low spatial frequencies than individual XG cells, the ensemble of XG cells of one centre-type which overlaps a particular YG cell receptive field of the same centre-type has a contrast sensitivity at optimum spatial frequency very close to that of the YG cell. This leads one to believe that XG cells could by themselves account for the contrast sensitivity of the cat's visual system.

Full text

PDF
399

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Barlow H. B., Levick W. R. Three factors limiting the reliable detection of light by retinal ganglion cells of the cat. J Physiol. 1969 Jan;200(1):1–24. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1969.sp008679. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Campbell F. W., Green D. G. Optical and retinal factors affecting visual resolution. J Physiol. 1965 Dec;181(3):576–593. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1965.sp007784. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cleland B. G., Dubin M. W., Levick W. R. Sustained and transient neurones in the cat's retina and lateral geniculate nucleus. J Physiol. 1971 Sep;217(2):473–496. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1971.sp009581. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Derrington A. M., Fuchs A. F. Spatial and temporal properties of X and Y cells in the cat lateral geniculate nucleus. J Physiol. 1979 Aug;293:347–364. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1979.sp012893. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Derrington A. M., Lennie P. The influence of temporal frequency and adaptation level on receptive field organization of retinal ganglion cells in cat. J Physiol. 1982 Dec;333:343–366. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1982.sp014457. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Enroth-Cugell C., Robson J. G. The contrast sensitivity of retinal ganglion cells of the cat. J Physiol. 1966 Dec;187(3):517–552. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1966.sp008107. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. FITZHUGH R. The statistical detection of threshold signals in the retina. J Gen Physiol. 1957 Jul 20;40(6):925–948. doi: 10.1085/jgp.40.6.925. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Georgeson M. A., Sullivan G. D. Contrast constancy: deblurring in human vision by spatial frequency channels. J Physiol. 1975 Nov;252(3):627–656. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1975.sp011162. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Guillery R. W. The organization of synaptic interconnections in the laminae of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat. Z Zellforsch Mikrosk Anat. 1969;96(1):1–38. doi: 10.1007/BF00321474. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hickey T. L., Spear P. D., Kratz K. E. Quantitative studies of cell size in the cat's dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus following visual deprivation. J Comp Neurol. 1977 Mar 15;172(2):265–281. doi: 10.1002/cne.901720206. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kaplan E., Marcus S., So Y. T. Effects of dark adaptation on spatial and temporal properties of receptive fields in cat lateral geniculate nucleus. J Physiol. 1979 Sep;294:561–580. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1979.sp012946. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kinston W. J., Vadas M. A., Bishop P. O. Multiple projection of the visual field to the medical portion of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus and the adjacent nuclei of the thalamus of the cat. J Comp Neurol. 1969 Jul;136(3):295–315. doi: 10.1002/cne.901360304. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. LEVICK W. R., WILLIAMS W. O. MAINTAINED ACTIVITY OF LATERAL GENICULATE NEURONES IN DARKNESS. J Physiol. 1964 Apr;170:582–597. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1964.sp007351. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lehmkuhle S., Kratz K. E., Mangel S. C., Sherman S. M. Spatial and temporal sensitivity of X- and Y-cells in dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat. J Neurophysiol. 1980 Feb;43(2):520–541. doi: 10.1152/jn.1980.43.2.520. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lennie P. Perceptual signs of parallel pathways. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1980 Jul 8;290(1038):23–37. doi: 10.1098/rstb.1980.0080. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Levick W. R., Thibos L. N. Orientation bias of cat retinal ganglion cells. Nature. 1980 Jul 24;286(5771):389–390. doi: 10.1038/286389a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Linsenmeier R. A., Frishman L. J., Jakiela H. G., Enroth-Cugell C. Receptive field properties of x and y cells in the cat retina derived from contrast sensitivity measurements. Vision Res. 1982;22(9):1173–1183. doi: 10.1016/0042-6989(82)90082-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Rodieck R. W., Dreher B. Visual suppression from nondominant eye in the lateral geniculate nucleus: a comparison of cat and monkey. Exp Brain Res. 1979 May 2;35(3):465–477. doi: 10.1007/BF00236765. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Rodieck R. W., Pettigrew J. D., Bishop P. O., Nikara T. Residual eye movements in receptive-field studies of paralyzed cats. Vision Res. 1967 Jan;7(1):107–110. doi: 10.1016/0042-6989(67)90031-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. SCHADE O. H., Sr Optical and photoelectric analog of the eye. J Opt Soc Am. 1956 Sep;46(9):721–739. doi: 10.1364/josa.46.000721. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Schmielau F., Singer W. The role of visual cortex for binocular interactions in the cat lateral geniculate nucleus. Brain Res. 1977 Jan 21;120(2):354–361. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(77)90914-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Shapley R. M., Victor J. D. The effect of contrast on the transfer properties of cat retinal ganglion cells. J Physiol. 1978 Dec;285:275–298. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1978.sp012571. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Sireteanu R., Hoffmann K. P. Relative frequency and visual resolution of X- and Y-cells in the LGN of normal and monocularly deprived cats: interlaminar differences. Exp Brain Res. 1979 Feb 15;34(3):591–603. doi: 10.1007/BF00239151. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. So Y. T., Shapley R. Spatial properties of X and Y cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat and conduction veolcities of their inputs. Exp Brain Res. 1979 Aug 1;36(3):533–550. doi: 10.1007/BF00238521. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. So Y. T., Shapley R. Spatial tuning of cells in and around lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat: X and Y relay cells and perigeniculate interneurons. J Neurophysiol. 1981 Jan;45(1):107–120. doi: 10.1152/jn.1981.45.1.107. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Stryker M., Blakemore C. Saccadic and disjunctive eye movements in cats. Vision Res. 1972 Dec;12(12):2005–2013. doi: 10.1016/0042-6989(72)90054-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Tolhurst D. J. Separate channels for the analysis of the shape and the movement of moving visual stimulus. J Physiol. 1973 Jun;231(3):385–402. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1973.sp010239. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Troy J. B. Spatio-temporal interaction in neurones of the cat's dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus. J Physiol. 1983 Nov;344:419–432. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1983.sp014949. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Wässle H., Levick W. R., Cleland B. G. The distribution of the alpha type of ganglion cells in the cat's retina. J Comp Neurol. 1975 Feb 1;159(3):419–438. doi: 10.1002/cne.901590308. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Physiology are provided here courtesy of The Physiological Society

RESOURCES