A new property of orientation-selective neurons of the cat lateral geniculate body

Abstract

Neuronal mechanisms of description of local properties of visual object light-shadow surfaces are studied. Earlier we have shown the cat lateral geniculate body (LGB) neurons to have sensitivity to the value and direction of brightness vector in loci of object light-shadow surfaces. Further study of properties of orientational selectivity (OS) of these neurons has revealed that single LGB cells sensitive to direction of the brightness gradient vector also have the classical OS to direction of test bands. Such complex orientational sensitivity of neurons to direction of binary and light-shadow fragments of visual objects is of essential significance, in our opinion, for understanding of principles and mechanisms of object vision.