title: Receptive-field properties of Q retinal ganglion cells of the cat.
abstract: The goal of this work was to provide a detailed quantitative description of the receptive-field properties of one of the types of rarely encountered retinal ganglion cells of cat; the cell named the Q-cell by Enroth-Cugell et al. (1983). Quantitative comparisons are made between the discharge statistics and between the spatial receptive properties of Q-cells and the most common of cat retinal ganglion cells, the X-cells. The center-surround receptive field of the Q-cell is modeled here quantitatively and the typical Q-cell is described. The temporal properties of the Q-cell receptive field were also investigated and the dynamics of the center mechanism of the Q-cell modeled quantitatively. In addition, the response vs. contrast relationship for a Q-cell at optimal spatial and temporal frequencies is shown, and Q-cells are also demonstrated to have nonlinear spatial summation somewhat like that exhibited by Y-cells, although much higher contrasts are required to reveal this nonlinear behavior. Finally, the relationship between Q-cells and Barlow and Levick's (1969) luminance units was investigated and it was found that most Q-cells could not be luminance units.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Engineering Department, Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Troy
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Schweitzer-Tong
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Enroth-Cugell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology; D004594:Electrophysiology; D008027:Light; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology*