title: Decline of selectivity of V1 neurons to visual stimulus spatial frequencies in old cats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether the selectivity of visual cortical neurons to stimulus spatial frequencies would be affected by aging in cats.
  
  
  METHODS
  In vivo extracellular single-unit recording techniques were employed to record the tuning responses of V1 neurons to different stimulus spatial frequencies in old and young adult cats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistical analysis showed that the mean optimal spatial frequency of grating stimuli that evoked the maximal response of V1 neurons in old cats was significantly lower than that in young adult cats. Furthermore, the mean high cut-off spatial frequency of grating stimuli that evoked the half amplitude of the maximal response of V1 neurons in old cats was also significantly lower than that in young adult cats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results are consistent with those reported in the V1 of old monkeys, suggesting that the age-related decline in the selectivity of visual cortical cells to spatial frequency could be generalized to all mammalian species and might contribute to visual acuity reduction in senescent individuals.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Peng
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.forename: Xia-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Qing-Song
authors.initials: QS
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Tian-Miao
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Hua
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D008839:Microelectrodes; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology*