Correlation between spatio-temporal structure of receptive fields and velocity tuning of cat's superior colliculus neurons

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Correlation between spatio-temporal structure of receptive fields and velocity tuning of cat's superior colliculus neurons Wioletta J. Waleszczyk1*, Marek Wypych1, Andrzej Foik1, Gabriela Mochol1, Armenui Ghazaryan1 and Andrzej Wrobel1 1 Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Poland Neurons in the superior colliculus (SC), the midbrain retinorecipient nucleus involved in visuo-motor behaviour, are extremely sensitive to moving visual stimuli, but they differ in velocity preference in response to such stimulation. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism(s) underlaying velocity tuning of SC neurons in superficial, retinorecipient layers. Conventional methods were used to record extracellular single unit activity from SC in anaesthetized cats during presentation of randomly flashing or moving with different velocities light spot stimuli. The spatio-temporal receptive fields (STRFs) obtained with flashing light spots were constructed and then compared with velocity profiles of responses to moving stimuli. Certain features of the STRFs of SC neurons were clearly correlated with the velocity tuning profiles obtained for responses to moving stimuli. In general, cells responding only to low velocities had the smallest RFs and those responding to high velocities, the biggest. In neurons excited only by high velocities the responses to stimulus onset and offset were phasic, while neurons sensitive to low velocities were characterized by the appearence of the phasic part of response to stationary stimuli frequently followed by tonic firing. Some of the neurons that exhibited decline of their activity in the STRF profile showed also suppression in responses to stimulus movement, particularly neurons with a short latency suppression in STRFs decreased their activity bellow background level in reaction to fast moving stimuli. Our results indicate that responses for high velocity moving stimuli in the SC depend on the integration of short latency phasic excitation or suppression over spatially extended RFs, while responses to low velocity are related to temporal integration of short and long latency excitation in neurons with more tonic STRF profiles. Supported by Polish grants: SCSR 3P04C08222, MSHE 46/N-COST/2007/0 and N303 070234. Conference: 41st European Brain and Behaviour Society Meeting, Rhodes Island, Greece, 13 Sep - 18 Sep, 2009. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Poster presentations Citation: Waleszczyk WJ, Wypych M, Foik A, Mochol G, Ghazaryan A and Wrobel A (2009). Correlation between spatio-temporal structure of receptive fields and velocity tuning of cat's superior colliculus neurons. Conference Abstract: 41st European Brain and Behaviour Society Meeting. doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.08.2009.09.346 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 15 Jun 2009; Published Online: 15 Jun 2009. * Correspondence: Wioletta J Waleszczyk, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Granz, Poland, w.waleszczyk@nencki.gov.pl Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Wioletta J Waleszczyk Marek Wypych Andrzej Foik Gabriela Mochol Armenui Ghazaryan Andrzej Wrobel Google Wioletta J Waleszczyk Marek Wypych Andrzej Foik Gabriela Mochol Armenui Ghazaryan Andrzej Wrobel Google Scholar Wioletta J Waleszczyk Marek Wypych Andrzej Foik Gabriela Mochol Armenui Ghazaryan Andrzej Wrobel PubMed Wioletta J Waleszczyk Marek Wypych Andrzej Foik Gabriela Mochol Armenui Ghazaryan Andrzej Wrobel Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.