Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-45l2p Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T13:19:58.171Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Behavioral determination of the spatial selectivity of contrast adaptation in cats: Some evidence for a common plan in the mammmlian visual system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2009

M.A. Berkley
M.A. Berkley
Affiliation:
Psychobiology/Neuroscience Program, Florida State University, Tallahassee
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

An aftereffects paradigm was used to behaviorally measure contrast sensitivity of cats to gratings of three different test spatial frequencies after adaptation to gratings of various spatial frequencies, contrasts, and durations. Post-adaptation reductions in sensitivity occurred even after short periods of adaptation (<7 s) and could be as large as 1.0 log unit under some conditions. The magnitude of the adaptation effect varied monotonically with (1) adaptation grating contrast, (2) duration, and (3) the contrast sensitivity for the test grating. Average half-width (at half-height) of the spatial-frequency tuning curves constructed from the data was 1.4 octaves, and was not dependent upon the level of adaptation or the spatial frequency of the test grating. Post-adaptation psychometric functions of the cats showed reduced slopes and maxima suggesting that, unlike humans, in cats apparent contrast grows more slowly with increases in physical contrast after contrast adaptation. All of the characteristics observed are in excellent agreement with electrophysiologically measured properties of neurons in striate cortex of cats. In addition, there was a remarkable similarity of the cat tuning functions, both in shape and bandpass, to those measured in man with a similar paradigm suggesting that (1) the two visual systems are sufficiently similar to make the cat a useful spatial vision model and (2) there is a common functional plan to all mammalian visual systems despite significant anatomical differences between species.

Keywords

Spatial selectivityContrast adaptationCatsBehaviorAftereffectsTuning curvesChannels
Type
Research Articles
Information
Visual Neuroscience , Volume 4 , Issue 5 , May 1990 , pp. 413 - 426
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Albrecht, D.C. & Hami<on, D.B. (1982). Striate cortex of monkey and cat: contrast response function. Journal of Neurophysiology 48, 217–237.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Albrecht, D.G., Farrar, S.B. & Hami<on, D. (1984). Spatial contrast adaptation characteristics of neurones recorded in the cat's visual cortex. Journal of Physiology 347, 713–739.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Andrews, B.W., & Pollen, D.A. (1979). Relationship between spatial frequency selectivity and receptive-field profile of simple cells. Journal of Physiology 287, 163–176.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Berkley, M.A. (1976). Cat visual psychophysics: neural correlates and comparisons with man. In Progress in Psychobiology and Physiological Psychology, ed. Sprague, J. & Epsmin, A., pp. 63–119. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Berkley, M.A. (1979). A system for behavioral evaluation of the visual capacities of cats. Vision Research 17, 723–730.Google Scholar
Berkley, M.A. (1984). Behavioral measures of orientation and spatial- frequency channels: comparison of psychophysics and electrophysiology. Neuroscience Abstracts 10, 471.Google Scholar
Berkley, M.A (1989). Integration regions for vernier acuity in the cat: comparative aspects of cortical scaling. Visual Neuroscience 2, 473–482.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Berkley, M.A. & Sprague, J.M. (1979). Striate cortex and visual acuity functions in the cat. Journal of Comparative Neurology 187, 679–702.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bisti, S. & Maffei, L.. (1974). Behavioural contrast sensitivity of the cat in various visual meridians. Journal of Physiology 241, 201–210.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bisti, S., Maffei, L., Clement, R. & Meccaci, L. (1977). Spatial frequency and orientation tuning curves of visual neurones in the cat: effects of mean luminance. Experimental Brain Research 27, 335–345.Google ScholarPubMed
Bjorklund, R. & Magnussen, S. (1981). The visual cortex as a spatial- frequency analyzer. Vision Research 13, 1255–1267.Google Scholar
Blake, R. & Fox, R. (1972). Interocular transfer of adaptation to spatial frequency during retinal ischaemia. Nature New Biology 240, 76–77.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blake, R.Martens, W. (1981). Critical bands in cat spatial vision. Journal of Physiology 314, 175–187.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blakemore, C. & C&bell, F.W. (1969). On the existence of neurones in the human visual system selectively sensitive to the orientation and size of retinal images. Journal of Physiology 203, 237–260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blakemore, C. & Nachmias, J. (1971). The orientation specificity of two visual aftereffects. Journal of Physiology 213, 157–174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bloom, M. & Berkley, M.A. (1977). Visual acuity and the near point of accommodation in cats. Vision Research 17, 723–730.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bodinger, D. (1978). The decay of grating adaptation. Vision Research 18, 89–91.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bonds, A.B. (1984). Spatial adaptation of the cortical visual evoked potential of the cat. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 25, 640–646.Google ScholarPubMed
Burbeck, C. (1986). Negative after images and photopic luminance adaptation in human vision. Journal of Optical Society of America A 3, 1159–1165.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
C&bell, F.W. & Kulikowski, J.J. (1966). Orientational selectivity of the human visual system. Journal of Physiology 187, 437.Google Scholar
C&bell, F.W. & Maffei, L. (1970). Electrophysiological evidence for the existence of orientation and size detectors in the human visual system. Journal of Physiology 207, 635.Google Scholar
Daugman, J.G. (1983). Dynamics of spatial channel adaptation. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Harvard University, Boston.Google Scholar
Day, R.H. (1958). On interocular transfer and the central origin of visual aftereffects. American Journal of Psychology 71, 784–790.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dealy, R.S. & Tolhurst, D.J. (1974). Is spatial adaptation an aftereffect of prolonged inhibition? Journal of Physiology 241, 261–274.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dean, A.F. (1983). Adaptation-induced a<eration of the relation between response &litude and contrast in cat striate cortical neurones. Vision Research 23, 249–256.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DeValois, K.K. (1977). Spatial-frequency adaptation can enhance contrast sensitivity. Vision Research 17, 1057–1065.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Enroth-Cugell, C. & Robson, J.G. (1966). The contrast sensitivity of retinal ganglion cells. Journal of Physiology 187, 517–552.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Georgeson, M.A. (1985). The effect of spatial adaptation on perceived contrast. Spatial Vision 1, 103–112.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Georgeson, M.A. & Harris, M.G. (1984). Spatial selectivity of contrast adaptation: models and data. Vision Research 24, 729–741.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gilinsky, A. & Doherty, R.S. (1969). Interocular transfer of orientational effects. Science 164, 454–455.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ginsburg, A.P. (1982). On a fi<er approach to understanding the perception of visual form. In Recognition of Pattern and Form, ed. Albrecht, D.G. & Levin, S., pp. 175–192, 206, New York: Springer- Verlag.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Graham, N. & Nachmias, J. (1971). Detection of grating patterns containing two spatial frequencies. A comparison of single-channel and mu<iple-channel models. Vision Research 11, 251–259.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hammon, P. & Monat, G.S. (1986). Interocular transfer of motion aftereffects in complex cells of feline striate cortex. Journal of Physiology 381, 99.Google Scholar
Ho, W.A. & Berkley, M.A. (1988). Evoked potential estimates of the time course of adaptation and recovery to counterphase gratings. Vision Research 28, 1287–1296.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Holub, R.A.Morton-Gibson, M. (1981). Response of visual cortical neurons of the cat to moving sinusoidal gratings: contrast response functions and spatio-temporal interactions. Journal of Neurophysiology 46, 1244–1259.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hubel, D.H. & Wiesel, T.N. (1962). Receptive fields, binocular interaction, and functional architecture in the cat's visual cortex. Journal of Physiology 160, 106–154.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jones, R.M. & Tulunay-Keesey, V. (1975). Local retinal adaptation and spatial-frequency channels. Vision Research 15, 1239–1244.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maffei, L. & Fiorentini, A. (1973). The visual cortex as a spatial-frequency analyzer. Vision Research 13, 1255–1267.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maffei, L., Fiorentini, A. & Bisti, S. (1973). Neural correlate of perceptual adaptation to gratings. Science 182, 1036–1038.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mitchell, D.E. & Ware, C. (1974). Interocular transferof a visual in normal and stereoblind humans. Journal of Physiology 236, 707–721.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Movshon, J.A. & Lennie, P. (1979). Pattern-selective adaptation in cortical neurones. Nature (London) 278, 850–852.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Movshon, J.A., Thompson, D. & Tolhurst, D.J. (1978). Spatial and temporal contrast sensitivity of neurones in areas 17 and 18 of the cat's visual cortex. Journal of Physiology 283, 101–120.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ohzawa, I., Sclar, G. & Freeman, R.D. (1982). Contrast-gain control in the cat's visual cortex. Nature (London) 298, 5871–5872.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ohzawa, I., Sclar, G. & Freeman, R.D. (1985). Contrast gain in the cat's visual system. Journal of Physiology 54, 651–669.Google ScholarPubMed
Pantle, A. & Sekuler, R. (1968). Size-detecting mechanisms in human vision. Science 162, 1147–1148.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Robson, J.G., Tolhurst, R.D., Freeman, R.D. & Ohzawa, J. (1988) Simple cells in the visual cortex of the cat can be narrowly tuned for spatial frequency. Visual Neuroscience 1, 415–419.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sagi, D. & Hochstein, S. (1985). Lateral inhibition between spatially adjacent spatial-frequency channels? Perception & Psychophysics 37, 315–322.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sclar, G., Lennie, P. & DePriest, D. (1989). Contrast adaptation in striate cortex of macaque. Vision Research 29, 747–755.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sekuler, R. & Ganz, L. (1963). An aftereffect of seen movement with a stabilized retinal image. Science 139, 419–420.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tolhurst, D.J. (1972). Adaptation to square-wave gratings: inhibition between spatial-frequency channels in the human visual system. Journal of Physiology 226, 231–248.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tolhurst, D.J. & Barfield, L.P. (1978). Interactions between spatial- frequency channels in the human visual system. Vision Research 18, 951–958.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vautin, R. & Berkley, M. (1977). Responses of single cells in cat visual cortex to prolonged stimulus movement: neural correlates of visual aftereffects. Journal of Neurophysiobogy 40, 1051–1065.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Von Der Heydt, R., Hanny, P. & Adorjani, C.Movement aftereffects in the visual cortex. Archives Italiennes de Biologie 116, #3–4, 248–254.Google Scholar
Wilson, A. & Bergen, J.R. (1979). A four-mechanism model for threshold spatial vision. Vision Research 19, 19–32.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed