title: Receptive field structure varies with layer in the primary visual cortex.
abstract: Here we ask whether visual response pattern varies with position in the cortical microcircuit by comparing the structure of receptive fields recorded from the different layers of the cat's primary visual cortex. We used whole-cell recording in vivo to show the spatial distribution of visually evoked excitatory and inhibitory inputs and to stain individual neurons. We quantified the distribution of 'On' and 'Off' responses and the presence of spatially opponent excitation and inhibition within the receptive field. The thalamorecipient layers (4 and upper 6) were dominated by simple cells, as defined by two criteria: they had separated On and Off subregions, and they had push-pull responses (in a given subregion, stimuli of the opposite contrast evoked responses of the opposite sign). Other types of response profile correlated with laminar location as well. Thus, connections unique to each visual cortical layer are likely to serve distinct functions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Campus de Oza, Universidad A Coruña, 15006, Spain.
authors.forename: Luis M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Qingbo
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: R Clay
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: Cinthi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pillai
authors.forename: José-Mañuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: Friedrich T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Sommer
authors.forename: Judith A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hirsch
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002415:Cats; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005829:Geniculate Bodies / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000502:physiology*