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The role of the visual cortex in response properties of lateral geniculate cells in rats

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Summary

Unitary discharges of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) were analyzed in anesthetized and paralyzed rats after inactivation of visual cortical areas (VC) by cryoblockade or by depositing a cotton wick soaked in KCl (3 M). The receptive fields were mapped prior to and following the interruption of the cortico-geniculate feedback. The responsiveness of the VC was controlled by monitoring evoked potentials and the EEG. In most off-center and about half on-center cells the surround excitatory responses were markedly reduced and even totally abolished. In contrast, the center excitation remained unchanged or increased suggesting a parallel decline of the inhibitory surround. This differential influence of cortical blockade on on- or off-responses failed to appear in on-off cells whose receptive field was nonconcentrically organized. It is proposed that the VC exerts a complex influence upon geniculate physiology while the spatial center-surround relationships are under the control of the VC. The results of this investigation are comparable to those obtained in rabbits and cats.

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Molotchnikoff, S., Tremblay, F. & Lepore, F. The role of the visual cortex in response properties of lateral geniculate cells in rats. Exp Brain Res 53, 223–232 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00238152

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00238152

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