Ocular dominance in extrastriate cortex of strabismic amblyopic cats

Abstract

Ocular dominance in extrastriate visual cortex of cats with behaviorally defined strabismic amblyopia was studied using extracellular recording techniques. In area 18, the amblyopic eye drove about as many cells as the normal one. In area posteromedial lateral suprasylvian area (PMLS), about 60% of the cells responded exclusively to stimulation of the normal eye and 30% to stimulation of the amblyopic eye. In area 21a more than 75% of the cells were monocularly driven by the non-amblyopic eye while only 5% were monocularly driven by the amblyopic eye. These findings suggest that ventral pathways (area 21a) are more affected in amblyopia than dorsal pathways (area PMLS).