Effects of visual adaptation on orientation selectivity in cat secondary visual cortex.

Abstract

Neuron orientation selectivity, otherwise known as the ability to respond optimally to a preferred orientation, has been extensively described in both primary and secondary visual cortices. This orientation selectivity, conserved through all cortical layers of a given column, is the primary basis for cortical organization and functional network emergence. While this selectivity is programmed and acquired since critical period, it has always been believed that in a mature brain, neurons' inherent functional features could not be changed. However, a plurality of studies has investigated the mature brain plasticity in V1, by changing the cells' orientation selectivity with visual adaptation. Using electrophysiological data in both V1 and V2 areas, this study aims to investigate the effects of adaptation on simultaneously recorded cells in both areas. Visual adaptation had an enhanced effect on V2 units, as they exhibited greater tuning curve shifts and a more pronounced decrease of their OSI. Not only did adaptation have a different effect on V2 neurons, it also elicited a different response depending on the neuron's cortical depth. Indeed, in V2, cells in layers II-III were more affected by visual adaptation, while infragranular layer V units exhibited little to no effect at all.