Long-term recordings and receptive field measurements from single units of the visual cortex of awake unrestrained kittens. 1988

L Mioche, and W Singer
Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Department of Neurophysiology, Frankfurt am Main, F.R.G.

A method is described which allows simultaneous recording of the activity of several neurons in the visual cortex of awake unrestrained kittens for a period sufficiently long to follow experience-dependent changes in receptive field properties. The electrodes consisted of 25 microns thick Teflon-coated platinum-iridium wires whose tips were tapered and coated with platinum black. They were implanted individually into the striate cortex and fixed with tissue glue to the pia mater. The other end of the electrodes was connected to a 21-pin plug and fixed to the skull in a way which allowed the wires to follow freely any movements of the brain. With this arrangement single and multi unit activity could be recorded from up to 10 sites over several weeks. In fortuitous cases the activity of a single cell could be followed over several days. The receptive field properties of these neurons were determined in awake animals by computing response histograms to moving gratings that covered the whole visual field and whose orientation could be changed in small steps. Comparison with receptive field properties that were determined for the same neurons after the kittens had been lightly anesthetized, revealed that this method allowed reliable determination of the eye preference of the neurons as well as of their orientation and direction selectivity. Since this method allowed repeated non-invasive measurements of neuronal response properties in only lightly restrained kittens, it was possible to study, in individual units, the nature and time course of changes in receptive field properties such as result from monocular deprivation and reverse occlusion.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008991 Monitoring, Physiologic The continuous measurement of physiological processes, blood pressure, heart rate, renal output, reflexes, respiration, etc., in a patient or experimental animal; includes pharmacologic monitoring, the measurement of administered drugs or their metabolites in the blood, tissues, or urine. Patient Monitoring,Monitoring, Physiological,Physiologic Monitoring,Monitoring, Patient,Physiological Monitoring
D010775 Photic Stimulation Investigative technique commonly used during ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY in which a series of bright light flashes or visual patterns are used to elicit brain activity. Stimulation, Photic,Visual Stimulation,Photic Stimulations,Stimulation, Visual,Stimulations, Photic,Stimulations, Visual,Visual Stimulations
D002415 Cats The domestic cat, Felis catus, of the carnivore family FELIDAE, comprising over 30 different breeds. The domestic cat is descended primarily from the wild cat of Africa and extreme southwestern Asia. Though probably present in towns in Palestine as long ago as 7000 years, actual domestication occurred in Egypt about 4000 years ago. (From Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th ed, p801) Felis catus,Felis domesticus,Domestic Cats,Felis domestica,Felis sylvestris catus,Cat,Cat, Domestic,Cats, Domestic,Domestic Cat
D005074 Evoked Potentials, Visual The electric response evoked in the cerebral cortex by visual stimulation or stimulation of the visual pathways. Visual Evoked Response,Evoked Potential, Visual,Evoked Response, Visual,Evoked Responses, Visual,Potential, Visual Evoked,Potentials, Visual Evoked,Response, Visual Evoked,Responses, Visual Evoked,Visual Evoked Potential,Visual Evoked Potentials,Visual Evoked Responses
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D014793 Visual Cortex Area of the OCCIPITAL LOBE concerned with the processing of visual information relayed via VISUAL PATHWAYS. Area V2,Area V3,Area V4,Area V5,Associative Visual Cortex,Brodmann Area 18,Brodmann Area 19,Brodmann's Area 18,Brodmann's Area 19,Cortical Area V2,Cortical Area V3,Cortical Area V4,Cortical Area V5,Secondary Visual Cortex,Visual Cortex Secondary,Visual Cortex V2,Visual Cortex V3,Visual Cortex V3, V4, V5,Visual Cortex V4,Visual Cortex V5,Visual Cortex, Associative,Visual Motion Area,Extrastriate Cortex,Area 18, Brodmann,Area 18, Brodmann's,Area 19, Brodmann,Area 19, Brodmann's,Area V2, Cortical,Area V3, Cortical,Area V4, Cortical,Area V5, Cortical,Area, Visual Motion,Associative Visual Cortices,Brodmanns Area 18,Brodmanns Area 19,Cortex Secondary, Visual,Cortex V2, Visual,Cortex V3, Visual,Cortex, Associative Visual,Cortex, Extrastriate,Cortex, Secondary Visual,Cortex, Visual,Cortical Area V3s,Extrastriate Cortices,Secondary Visual Cortices,V3, Cortical Area,V3, Visual Cortex,V4, Area,V4, Cortical Area,V5, Area,V5, Cortical Area,V5, Visual Cortex,Visual Cortex Secondaries,Visual Cortex, Secondary,Visual Motion Areas
D014794 Visual Fields The total area or space visible in a person's peripheral vision with the eye looking straightforward. Field, Visual,Fields, Visual,Visual Field

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