Receptive field density of retinal ganglion cells and cortical magnification factor in man.
A mathematical relationship is derived between the density or retinal ganglion cell receptive fields and cortical magnification factor. The derivation is based on an assumed constant density of visual fibres entering the striate cortex and on a continuous retinotopic mapping of the visual field thereto. After considering the effect of cortical ocular-dominance columns the human cortical magnification factor along the principal meridians of the visual field is calculated from the empirical estimates of receptive field density of ganglion cells in human retina. The computed estimates of cortical magnification factor agree with experimental data obtained from studies of cortically induced phosphenes, visual migraine hallucinations, and contrast sensitivity functions.
D003201:Computers; D005724:Ganglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D014794:Visual Fields; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology