Visual responses of neurons in the Clare-Bishop area of the cat

Abstract

Single unit responses in the Clare-Bishop area of the pretrigeminal cat were analyzed using stationary and moving visual stimuli. Of the units responding, 80 percent could be influenced by a 0.5 s diffuse flash, most displaying inhibition or excitation to both "on" and "off". In most units responses to stationary shapes were not very specific. Responses to moving stimuli were strong and directional preference was usually present. For the majority of cells the optimal speed of movement was in the range from 100 to 800 deg/s, and some cells preserved their direction preferences when the speed was over 1,500 deg/s. The direction preference could be reversed depending on the speed of movement, location in the receptive field or the shape of stimulus.