Single-neuron responses and neuronal decisions in a vernier task

Abstract

Vernier acuity is a measure of the smallest horizontal offset between two vertical lines that can be behaviorally discriminated. To examine the link between the neuronal responses in a retinotopic mosaic and vernier acuity, we recorded the responses of single cells in cat lateral geniculate nucleus to a vertical bar stimulus that was stepped in small increments through the receptive fields of cells. Based on the single-trial responses evoked by stimuli at different positions, we calculated the spatial resolution that could be achieved. If the stimulus could fall anywhere in their receptive fields, single neurons had spatial resolutions two times worse than previously reported vernier thresholds. Given the known coverage factor in a cat retina, we developed a two-stage decision model to examine how the responses of neurons in a retinotopic mosaic could be processed to achieve vernier acuity. In order for psychophysical thresholds to be accounted for by the responses of a single cell, the stimulus must fall in the quarter of the receptive field that provides the most information about stimulus position. Alternatively, both the absolute psychophysical threshold for vernier acuity and its dependence on stimulus length can be realized by pooling the responses of a few neurons, all located on one side of the bar stimulus.