 |
 Previous Article | Next Article 
Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 7, 177-191, Copyright © 1987 by Society for Neuroscience
Functional properties of parietal visual neurons: radial organization of directionalities within the visual field
MA Steinmetz, BC Motter, CJ Duffy and VB Mountcastle
Parietal visual neurons (PVNs) were studied in waking monkeys as they
executed a simple fixation-detection task. Test visual stimuli of varied
direction, speed, and extent were presented during the fixation period;
these stimuli did not control behavior. Most PVNs subtend large, bilateral
receptive fields and are exquisitely sensitive to stimulus motion and
direction but insensitive to stimulus speed. The directional preferences of
PVNs along meridians are opponently organized, with the preferred
directions pointing either inward toward or outward away from the fixation
point. Evidence presented in the preceding paper (Motter et al., 1987)
indicates that opponent directionality along a single meridian is produced
by a feed-forward inhibition of 20 degrees-30 degrees spatial extent. The
observations fit a double-Gaussian model of superimposed but unequal
excitatory and inhibitory receptive fields: When the former is larger,
inward directionality results; when smaller, outward directionality
results. We examine here the distribution of the meridional directional
preferences in the visual field. Tests showed that opponent organization is
not produced by differences in local directional properties in different
parts of the receptive field. The distribution of response intensities from
one meridian to another is adequately described by a sine wave function.
These data indicate a best radial direction for each neuron with a broad
distribution of response intensities over successive meridians. Thus, any
single PVN, with rare exceptions, cannot signal radial stimulus direction
precisely. We then determined how accurately the population response
predicted radial stimulus direction by the application of a linear vector
summation model. The resulting population vector varied from stimulus
direction by an average of 9 degrees. Whether or not the perception of the
direction of motion depends upon a population vector remains uncertain.
PVNs are especially sensitive to object movement in the visual surround,
particularly in the periphery of the visual field. This, combined with
their large receptive fields and their wide but flat sensitivity to
stimulus speed, makes them especially sensitive to optic flow. This is
discussed in relation to the role of the parietal visual system in the
visual guidance of projected movements of the arm and hand, in the guidance
of locomotion, and in evoking the illusion of vection.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
|
|
 
B. Ahmed, A. Hanazawa, C. Undeman, D. Eriksson, S. Valentiniene, and P. E. Roland
Cortical Dynamics Subserving Visual Apparent Motion
Cereb Cortex,
December 1, 2008;
18(12):
2796 - 2810.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. S. Konen and S. Kastner
Representation of Eye Movements and Stimulus Motion in Topographically Organized Areas of Human Posterior Parietal Cortex
J. Neurosci.,
August 13, 2008;
28(33):
8361 - 8375.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. A. Orban
Higher Order Visual Processing in Macaque Extrastriate Cortex
Physiol Rev,
January 1, 2008;
88(1):
59 - 89.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. J. Logan and C. J. Duffy
Cortical Area MSTd Combines Visual Cues to Represent 3-D Self-Movement
Cereb Cortex,
October 1, 2006;
16(10):
1494 - 1507.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. V. Chafee, D. A. Crowe, B. B. Averbeck, and A. P. Georgopoulos
Neural Correlates of Spatial Judgement during Object Construction in Parietal Cortex
Cereb Cortex,
September 1, 2005;
15(9):
1393 - 1413.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Merchant, A. Battaglia-Mayer, and A. P. Georgopoulos
Functional Organization of Parietal Neuronal Responses to Optic-Flow Stimuli
J Neurophysiol,
August 1, 2003;
90(2):
675 - 682.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. J. Nichols and W. T. Newsome
Middle Temporal Visual Area Microstimulation Influences Veridical Judgments of Motion Direction
J. Neurosci.,
November 1, 2002;
22(21):
9530 - 9540.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Merchant, A. Battaglia-Mayer, and A. P. Georgopoulos
Effects of Optic Flow in Motor Cortex and Area 7a
J Neurophysiol,
October 1, 2001;
86(4):
1937 - 1954.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. G. Knyazeva, D. C. Kiper, V. Y. Vildavski, P. A. Despland, M. Maeder-Ingvar, and G. M. Innocenti
Visual Stimulus-Dependent Changes in Interhemispheric EEG Coherence in Humans
J Neurophysiol,
December 1, 1999;
82(6):
3095 - 3107.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Grossberg, E. Mingolla, and C. Pack
A Neural Model of Motion Processing and Visual Navigation by Cortical Area MST
Cereb Cortex,
December 1, 1999;
9(8):
878 - 895.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Jancke, W. Erlhagen, H. R. Dinse, A. C. Akhavan, M. Giese, A. Steinhage, and G. Schoner
Parametric Population Representation of Retinal Location: Neuronal Interaction Dynamics in Cat Primary Visual Cortex
J. Neurosci.,
October 15, 1999;
19(20):
9016 - 9028.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. C. Anderson and R. M. Siegel
Optic Flow Selectivity in the Anterior Superior Temporal Polysensory Area, STPa, of the Behaving Monkey
J. Neurosci.,
April 1, 1999;
19(7):
2681 - 2692.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M.T.V. Johnson, J. D. Coltz, M. C. Hagen, and T. J. Ebner
Visuomotor Processing as Reflected in the Directional Discharge of Premotor and Primary Motor Cortex Neurons
J Neurophysiol,
February 1, 1999;
81(2):
875 - 894.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Squatrito and M. G. Maioli
Encoding of Smooth Pursuit Direction and Eye Position by Neurons of Area MSTd of Macaque Monkey
J. Neurosci.,
May 15, 1997;
17(10):
3847 - 3860.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Salzman and W. Newsome
Neural mechanisms for forming a perceptual decision
Science,
April 8, 1994;
264(5156):
231 - 237.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Georgopoulos, M Taira, and A Lukashin
Cognitive neurophysiology of the motor cortex
Science,
April 2, 1993;
260(5104):
47 - 52.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C.L. Colby
The Neuroanatomy and Neurophysiology of Attention
J Child Neurol,
January 1, 1991;
6(1_suppl):
S90 - S118.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Wise and R Desimone
Behavioral neurophysiology: insights into seeing and grasping
Science,
November 4, 1988;
242(4879):
736 - 741.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Jancke
Orientation Formed by a Spot's Trajectory: A Two-Dimensional Population Approach in Primary Visual Cortex
J. Neurosci.,
July 15, 2000;
20(14):
RC86 - RC86.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
