Summary
Single cells were recorded extracellularly in the nucleus of the optic tract (NOT) in monocularly deprived cats. Monocular deprivation had no effect on the direction specificity of these neurons, i.e. all cells in the left nucleus preferred movements from right to left and all units in the right nucleus preferred movements from left to right in the visual field. Neurons driven from the deprived eye failed to respond to stimuli moving at velocities above 10°/s whereas neurons driven from the non-deprived eye responded to velocities up to and above 100°/s as do neurons in normal cats. In 8 out of the 10 cats tested all cells in the two nuclei could be influenced only from the contralateral eye irrespective whether this was the deprived or the non-deprived eye. In the other two cats the influence from the non-deprived eye on cells in the ipsilateral NOT was found to be normal. This influence is mediated probably via cortico-fugal projections. In the 8 abnormal cats a clear deprivation effect could be assigned for the first time to the non-deprived eye consisting in a loss of its connections to the ipsilateral NOT. Electrical stimulation of the visual cortex revealed, however, the existence of a connection between the visual cortex and the NOT. A possible explanation for the specific deficit with visual stimulation in the cortico-pretectal synapse ipsilateral to the non-deprived eye is discussed in relation to developmental mechanisms.
The conduction velocity of retinal input to the NOT and the output of the NOT to the inferior olive remained uninfluenced by visual deprivation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anker RL, Cragg BG (1974) Development of extrinsic connections of the visual cortex in the cat. J. Comp Neurol 154: 29–42
Bailas I, Hoffmann, KP, Wagner H-J (1981) Retinal projection to the nucleus of the optic tract in the cat as revealed by retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase. Neurosci Lett 26: 197–202
Eccles JC, Ito M, Szentágothai J (1967) The cerebellum as a neuronal machine. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, p 175
Fernald R, Chase R (1971) An improved method for plotting retinal land marks and focussing the eyes. Vision Res 11: 95–96
Harris LR, Leporé F, Guillemot J-P, Cynader M (1980) Abolition of optokinetic nystagmus in the cat. Science 210: 91–92
Van Hof-Van Duin J (1978) Direction preference of optokinetic responses in monocularly tested normal kittens and light deprived cats. Arch Ital Biol 116: 471–477
Hoffmann KP (1979) Optokinetic nystagmus and single-cell responses in the nucleus tractus opticus after early monocular deprivation in the cat. In: Freeman RD (ed) Develop Neurobiol Vis, NATO Advanced Study, Institute A27. Plenum Press, New York London, pp 63–72
Hoffmann KP (1981) Neuronal responses related to optokinetic nystagmus in the cat's nucleus of the optic tract. In: Fuchs A, Becker W (eds) Progress in oculomotor research. Elsevier, North Holland, Amsterdam New York, pp 443–454
Hoffmann KP (1982) Cortical versus subcortical contributions to the optokinetic reflex in the cat. In: Lennerstrand G, Zee DS, Keller EL (eds) Functional basis of ocular motility disorders. Pergamon Press, Oxford New York Toronto Sydney Paris Frankfurt [Wenner Gren Symp Ser 37: 303–310]
Hoffmann KP, Cynader M (1977) Functional aspects of plasticity in the visual system of adult cats after early monocular deprivation. Phil Trans R Soc Lond B 278: 411–424
Hoffmann KP, Behrend K, Schoppmann A (1976) A direct afferent visual pathway from the nucleus of the optic tract to the inferior olive in the cat. Brain Res 115: 150–153
Hoffmann KP, Schoppmann A (1981) A quantitative analysis of the direction-specific responses of neurons in the cats nucleus of the optic tract. Exp Brain Res 42: 146–157
Hoffmann KP, Sherman SM (1974) Effects of early monocular deprivation on visual input to cat superior colliculus. J Neurophysiol 37: 1276–1286
Hoffmann KP, Sherman SM (1975) Effects of early binocular deprivation on visual input to cat superior colliculus. J Neurophysiol 38: 1049–1059
Malach R, Strong N, van Sluyters RC (1981) Analysis of monocular optokinetic nystagmus in normal and visually deprived kittens. Brain Res 210: 367–372
Norton TT (1974) Receptive-field properties of superior colliculus cells and development of visual behavior in kittens. J Neurophysiol 37: 674–690
Precht W, Montarolo PG, Strata P (1980) The role of the crossed and uncrossed retinal fibers in mediating the horizontal optokinetic nystagmus in the cat. Neurosci Lett 17: 39–42
Precht W, Strata P (1980) On the pathway mediating optokinetic responses in vestibular nuclear neurons. Neuroscience 5: 777–787
Schoppmann A (1981) Projections from areas 17 and 18 of the visual cortex to the nucleus of the optic tract. Brain Res 223: 1–17
Schoppmann A, Hoffmann KP (1976) Continuous mapping of direction selectivity in the cat's visual cortex. Neurosci Lett 2: 177–181
Stein BE, Labos E, Kruger L (1973) Sequence of change in properties of neurons of superior colliculus of the kitten during maturation. J Neurophysiol 36: 667–679
Wall PD, Merrill EG (1972) Factors forming the edge of a receptive field: the presence of relatively ineffective afferent terminals. J Physiol (Lond) 226: 825–846
Wiesel TN, Hubel DH (1963a) Effects of visual deprivation on morphology and physiology of cells in the cat's lateral geniculate body. J Neurophysiol 26: 978–993
Wiesel TN, Hubel DH (1963b) Single-cell responses in striate cortex of kittens deprived of vision in one eye. J Neurophysiol 26: 1003–1917
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by DFG grants Ho 450/12 and 13
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hoffmann, K.P. Effects of early monocular deprivation on visual input to cat nucleus of the optic tract. Exp Brain Res 51, 236–246 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00237199
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00237199