Analysis of pharmacologically isolated components of the ERG

Vision Res. 1999 May;39(10):1759-66. doi: 10.1016/s0042-6989(98)00281-8.

Abstract

An harmonic analysis was applied to the electroretinogram (ERG) measured in intact cat eyes in control conditions and after pharmacological isolation of the components attributed to photoreceptors (PIII) and bipolar neurons (PII). The frequency response curves obtained in various conditions showed that the bandwidth of the PII component extends over a range of stimulus frequencies higher than the bandwidth of PIII. The enhancement of the PII response to stimuli of high temporal frequency suggests the presence of a frequency dependent gain control located either pre- and/or post-synaptically in the transmission line between the phototransductive cascade and bipolar neurons. A possible role of these processes is to enhance relevant visual information whilst selectively attenuating low frequency signals originating in the transductive cascade.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione
  • Aminobutyrates
  • Animals
  • Aspartic Acid
  • Cats
  • Electroretinography*
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Pattern Recognition, Visual / physiology
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Photometry
  • Photoreceptor Cells / drug effects
  • Retina / physiology*

Substances

  • Aminobutyrates
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists
  • Aspartic Acid
  • 6-Cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione
  • 2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid