Complex neurons

In layer 2 & 3 (supragranular layers) Occular dominance column:

the
Posterior

n
and in 5 &6 (infragranular layers) can be monocular 1 1) Each column responds preferentially to a location in only one retina

ion from
r

i
e

d
or have varying degrees of binocularity y
La er 2

e
s
m
u
a) recieve convergent input from simple cells in layer 4 y 3

c
a 2) The comparable location in the other retina will be nearby.

l
L er a

l
u
a
b) receptive fields are larger areas composed of multiple bars of light

t
y r4

informat
n
a
L ye 4b

e
o
Superior to Calcarine sulcus receive information

Calcarin

al field
1) the “territory of light” receptive fields of complex neurons have an

z
from Superior Retina field = inferior visual field
La yer 4c 3) Columnar domains belonging to two eyes segregate into interdigitating paralell “occular dominance stripes”

o r i
orientation specificity that is reprisentative of the orientation La yer 5

=h
La er

s recieve
erior visu
specificity of the converging “bars of light” inputs from y 4) Alternating occular dominance stripes represent creasents from the two retinas
Myelinayed Stria L 6 a
layer 4 “simple neurons” r
ye
Fovea L a

ine sulcu
ld = sup
2) the “territory of light” receptive fields of complex neurons also have Simple neuron Ventral Pathway: (temporal pathway)

l
cortica
directional specificity to a light source moving across the retina. V1 = area 17 have a”bar of light” center surround a) blobs in 17 connect with “Thin-Stripes”
This can be thought of by how lateral inhibition terrirotries may be 1) can have symetrical surround inhibition in area 18

etinal fie
o Calcar
inferor)
Ve + interblobs connect with “interstripes”

alamo
Right Occipital Lobe
arranged relative to the “bar of light” receptive fields of the converging nt 2) can have asymetical “lateral inhibition”

y)
simple cell inputs ra in Area 18

hwa
lP

Dorsal (superior)
at

Ventral (
Inferior t
Macula

LGN th
b) thin stripes and intersripes in 18 connect to a

inferior r
hw

l pat
c) Binocular properties related to depth perception ay sequence of corticocortical pathways leading to the
: (te

rieta
1) near cells- detect disparities in the two retinal projections of objects mp temporal lobe
The visual areas beyond
viewed in front of a particular plane of focus or c. pathway heavily involved with object recognition
the striate cortex are al

a
pa

y, (p
Binocular portion + color vision
- broadly organized th
2) far cells- detect disparities in the two retinal projections of objects -+ - wa Agnosia for form and pattern

thwa
-+ - into two pathways y)
viewed behind a particular plane of focus -+ - What Color, depth, form 1) Object agnosia: Naming, using, recognition of real objects

al Pa
-+ - P-cell dominant Areas: 18, 20, 21 (on left and corpus callosum)

-
-+
-
-+ - 2) Drawing agnosia: recognition of drawn objects

Dors
-+
-
-+
Blobs:

-
Parie -+
Areas 18, 20, 21 (on right)

-+
-
to-oc Monocular portion Dorsal Pathway, (parietal pathway)

-+
-
1) Cytochrom oxidase “hot spots” at the cipit

-+
al su 3) Prosopagnosia: recognition of faces
center of an occular dominace column lcus processes left peripheral vision a) Interblobs from 17 connect to “Thick-stripe” sites
V2, V3 Striate cortex Area 20, 21 bilaterally
in the supragranular and infragranular V2, V3 in area 18
= Area 18 = Area 18 b) this stripes of 18 connects to a sequence of intercortical
layers. Agnosia for color
Orientation column pathways leading to the parietal lobe
1) Color agnosia: association of colors with objects
2) Blobs are related to processing color Each occular dominance column contain c) pathway heavily involved in detecting moving objects
area 18 (on right)
vision and the neurons have much less several “orientation columns”
2) Color anomia: naming colors
orientation specificity than the surrounding Neurons at every layer have a preferred Where Motion, depth, form M-cell dominant
speech zones or connections from areas 18 + 37
orientation columns receptive orientation
3) Achromatopsia: distinguishing hues
LEFT EYE VISUAL FIELD
RIGHT EYE VISUAL FIELD Combination of these orientation
(E) Areas 18 + 37
3) Connectivity columns account for all receptive field
a) recieve input primarily from parvocellular layer of LGN cells orientation for a particular location
Agnosia for depth an movement
who received their input from P-ganglion cells on the retina that is being processed by an
1) Visual spatial agnosia: steroscopic vision
b) interblob sites (where orientation columns are) occular dominance column
areas 18, 37 (on right)
Contralateral homonymous hemianopsia receive input from parvo and magnocellular Hypercolumn 2) Movement agnosia: discerning movement of object
layers who receive their input from M-ganglion LGN neuron are monocular and respond to spots Two adjacent occular dominance columns
with macula sparing MT (middle- Bilateral medial-temporal area (junction of occipital and temporal cortex)
cells Layer 4 respond simple neurons respond to from the same visual field in different retinas V4
temporal area)
“bar of light” -represents the processing for light coming = area 19
LEFT EYE RETINAL FIELD RIGHT EYE RETINAL FIELD V5 = area 19
from the same site in the visual field
Layer 4 simple neuron makes converging +
diverging input to L2, L3, L5, L6 so columns
have hourglas shape resulting in some occular Area 18: occiptal lobe in lingual & cuneate gyri
dominance overlap Area 20: inferior temporal gyri (mainly ventral)
Area 21: middle temporal gyri
Consequently neurons in supragranular + Area 37: caudal to inf. temp g. @ junction
infragranular layers have varying degrees of between occ. & temp lobes
binocular (both retina) input. These neurons
D
have “territory of light” receptive fields and are P Temporal lobe
reffered to as “Complex neurons” Parietal lobe Interotemporal
(Ventral intraparietal)
M L

Superior colliculus
+ pretectal area are important for directing V
D P visual attention and eye movements toward A
Me

al
ridi

tic
visual stimuli. an

r
Ve
FOVEA

Dor
L M Superior colliculus + pretectal area project to
numerous brainstem areas involved in these

sa
Retina
A R

l Re
functions, as well as to association cortex L VISI
C U ON
V (lateral parietal cortex + frontal eye fields of R

tina
A ON UL A
I

Ventral
prefrontal cortex) via relay of Pul + LP thal B C
N O VISI
nucs O ON K-cell pathway
M

Parvocellular
Ko Neurons of the K-cell pathway located in
6 nio
thus, retino-tecto-pulvinar-extrasriate cortex pathway e r s cel interlaminar zones separate LGN layers
Thalamocortical neuron in the LGN Pretectum fi b l u 5
functions in visual attention + orientation l i o n lar Recieve input from “fine caliber retinofugal fibers”
Several LGN neurons can synapse on a Simple cell in layer 4 Mediates pupillary light reflex a n g l aye4
LGN neurons have “spot of light” receptive fields from ganglion cells PG r s Mag
r
3 s Project in patchy fasion to layers 2-3 area 17
2-3% of fibers the retino-geniculo-striate pathway functions in visal b e n Role in perception is unclear, but possible info
n fi o c 2
If several LGN neurons have receptive field in a line l i o e l l u
discrimination and perception n g l ar 1 from short wavelength cones may be via K rather than p
(meaning ganglion cells must be in a line) G a
Objects on the LEFT side Objects on the RIGHT side M Perhaps related to earlier evolution of K cell pathway
the line of LGN neurons will project and activate a simple cell in layer 4

,5
of the world are viewd with the of the world are viewed with the

2,3
RIGHT halves of BOTH retinas.

6.
LEFT halves of BOTH retinas.

ers
,
1,4
BOTH RIGHT halves send BOTH LEFT halves send

ay
ers
fibers to the RIGHT LGN fibers to the LEFT LGN Lateral geniculate nucleus (90% of fibers)

ol
ay
and are processed by the

at
and are processed by Magnocellular (layers 1 + 2)
ol

tin
RIGHT primary the LEFT primary Input: Retinal Miganglion cells
at

l re
visual cortex visual cortex Output: primary visual cortex
tin

LEFT EYE VISUAL FIELD RIGHT EYE VISUAL FIELD

a
ter
Layer 4C-alpha
l re

(C)
ila
era

ips

Parvocellular (layers 3-6)

lat

optic radiation
1.
a

Input: Retinal P ganglion cells

ntr

(D1) LEFT EYE VISUAL FIELD RIGHT EYE VISUAL FIELD Output: primary visual cortex
co

Hypothalamus Layer 4C-beta

2.

Contralateral homonymous superior
quadrant anopia = lesion to inferior optic radiation
LEFT EYE RETINAL FIELD
LEFT EYE VISUAL FIELD
(D2)
RIGHT EYE RETINAL FIELD
RIGHT EYE VISUAL FIELD
Contralateral homonymous
Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
LEFT EYE RETINAL FIELD hemiopia RIGHT EYE RETINAL FIELD The temporal lobe loop 1980
Photoentrainment center I. LGN physiology.
Target of Melanopsin retinal A. Basically the same as ganglion cells but with
ganglion cells more refined center/surround characteristics.
3-5% of fibers
B. Projections of ganglion cells from homonymous
INFERIOR OPTIC RADIATIONS CARRY INFORMATION halves of retinas project to differentlayers.
Optic tract
FROM INFERIOR RETINA = SUPERIOR VISUAL FIELD
1. ipsilateral retina to layers 2,3,5. Loop of Archambault-meyer
SUPERIOR OPTIC RADIATION CARRY INFORMATION Optic Chiasm Optic nerve 2. contralateral retina to layers 1,4,6. AMC alum
FROM SUPEROR RETINA = INFERIOR VISUAL FIELD (50% of fibers decussate in humans)
C. Comparable retinal sites are in register across
LEFT EYE VISUAL FIELD RIGHT EYE VISUAL FIELD layers but little functional interaction.
(B)

pia
LEFT EYE RETINAL FIELD RIGHT EYE RETINAL FIELD
Contralateral homonymous inferior arachnoid
quadrant anopia = lesion to superior optic radiation
LEFT EYE VISUAL FIELDRIGHT EYE VISUAL FIELD
Dura
Bitemporal heteronymous
hemianopsia
(tunnel vision) The optic nerve has
LEFT EYE RETINAL FIELD RIGHT EYE RETINAL FIELD Total blindness in one eye
Pituitary tumor appox 1 million fibers
LEFT EYE RETINAL FIELD RIGHT EYE RETINAL FIELD
and 1000 fasciles
(A)

There is a 3rd class of retinal ganglion cells Dorsal Retina

Vertical Meridian

only 2% of them contain intrinsic photpigment

LEFT EYE RIGHT EYE

Melanopsin- respond only to luminance, the project to
Vertical Meridian

the hypothalamus (suprchiasmatic nucleus) for

Left nasal retina can see farther to the left The right nasal retina can see farther entrainment of the circadian cycle
than the right temporal retina can, so beyond to the right than the left temporal retina can
is monocular vision this leads to monocular vision The alos go to the Pretectum (pupillary light reflex) Blind spot is 15 degrees tempotal
& 3 degrees superior to posterior pole of eye
These cells not involved in image formation
Optic disc (papilla)
is 3mm nasal + 1mm inferior to Macula lutea Fovea Macula lutea
posterior pole of eye pigmented retina

Temporal
Nasal

P ganglion cells
M ganglion cells
a) relativly small cells that project to parvocellular layers (3-6) of LGN
a) Large cells that project to Magnocellular layers (1,2) of LGN
b) High resolution color vision
b) Low resolutions with poor color vision
c) small receptive fields originating from only a few cones in a small area
c) Large receptive fields originating from a large area, mix of rods and cones
d) Located at high density in fovea and low density in peripheral retina
d) mostly in the periphery
e) good for color contrast
e) high b/w contrast due to wide range sensitivity of rods and cones
f) slow adapting, so good for long exposure
f) rapidly adapting so good for detecting motion
g) good for color and shape discrimination
g) good for night vision
Ganglion cells, both M and P become larger in size and have exponentially Ventral Retina Tricolor visual processing
greater receptive fields as they become farther away from fovea 1. three types of cones each with different photo-absorbing
No M ganglion cells IN the fovea, only P cells pigment
2. each photo-pigment absorbs light over a range or wavelengths
Rhesus monkey but the absorbtion capability has a bell shaped curve, with a
H3 AA injected into LEFT eye maximum absorbtion of only one wavelength
Survival 3 weeks 3. the bell-shaped curve for the three types of photo-pigments
Autoradiography through LBG and visual cortex has a partially shifted overlap
4. distinguishing between two different wavelengths depends
Lens refractive index = 1.40 on the differntial comparative activity of at least two types of
cones with different photopigments
5. colorblindness is due primarily loss of a gene for one
photopigment, or due to a hybrid pigment, Red and green
Total refractive power of the human eye = 59 diopters
pigment genes are both on the X chromosome and the have
A diopter denotes a lens whose principal focus is 1m
significant sequence homology so cross over events are common
this is why men are more prone to red green colorblindness

Aqueous humor

Cornea refractive index = 1.38

Air refractive index = 1.00
Rice thinks most focusing power occurs at the cornea
becasue it is the biggest change in refractive index

Real world visual processing

1) visual stimuli are not usually spots of light (stars) but instead are complex patterns that illuminate the retina in its entirety

a) therefore, ganglion cells are rarely optimally activatede

b) Bars of light shined on the retina will partially activate several ganglion cells that have continuous overlapping receptive fields

c) edges of light will generate differential activity among a population of ganglion cells
i. those ganglion cells who recepive field are fully illuminated or fully darkend will have a low level of activity

ii. those ganglion cells whos receptive fields are half illuminated will have a low level of activity

iii. those ganglion cells whose receptive fields are 25% or 75% illuminated will have the most activity

2) Visual perception is based upon the complex activity of the total population of ganglion cells under different image sttuations

Monocular vision
binocular vision

Macular field
RIGHT VISUAL FIELD