title: Mathematical analysis and modeling of motion direction selectivity in the retina.
abstract: Motion detection is one of the most important and primitive computations performed by our visual system. Specifically in the retina, ganglion cells producing motion direction-selective responses have been addressed by different disciplines, such as mathematics, neurophysiology and computational modeling, since the beginnings of vision science. Although a number of studies have analyzed theoretical and mathematical considerations for such responses, a clear picture of the underlying cellular mechanisms is only recently emerging. In general, motion direction selectivity is based on a non-linear asymmetric computation inside a receptive field differentiating cell responses between preferred and null direction stimuli. To what extent can biological findings match these considerations? In this review, we outline theoretical and mathematical studies of motion direction selectivity, aiming to map the properties of the models onto the neural circuitry and synaptic connectivity found in the retina. Additionally, we review several compartmental models that have tried to fill this gap. Finally, we discuss the remaining challenges that computational models will have to tackle in order to fully understand the retinal motion direction-selective circuitry.
authors.affiliation: Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Department of Electronics Engineering, Avda España 1680, Valparaíso, Chile.
authors.forename: María-José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Escobar
authors.forename: Danilo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pezo
authors.forename: Patricio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Orio
mesh_terms: D025042:Amacrine Cells / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000502:physiology; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Compartmental model; Computational model; Direction-selective retinal ganglion cell; Motion direction selectivity; Retina; Starburst amacrine cell