Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol 53, Issue 6 1535-1550, Copyright © 1985 by APS
Effects of pattern deprivation on visual cortical cells in the rabbit: a reevaluation
E. H. Murphy
The response properties of 217 cells recorded from the monocular segment of
primary visual cortex in rabbits reared with lid suture of the
contralateral eye (monocular deprivation, MD) were studied. These data were
compared with 280 cells recorded from normal rabbits. There was no change
in the percentage of orientation-selective cells, nonorientation-selective
cells, or unmappable/unresponsive cells in MD animals compared with
normals. Among orientation selective cells the orientation-tuning range of
cells in MD animals was normal, and the predominance of cells with
horizontal preferred orientation was maintained. However, some
abnormalities were seen in orientation-selective cells of MD animals. These
included an increased frequency of SI cells; a change in the distribution
of preferred orientations; a disruption of the clustered organization of
the cortex; a decrease in direction selectivity; an increase in the
percentage of cells preferring slow stimulus movements and having low
spontaneous activity; an increase in receptive-field size in all cell
classes except SI. Among nonorientation-selective cells there was an
increase in the percentage of movement sensitive cells and an increase in
receptive-field size in MD animals. It is concluded that the effects of MD
are much less severe in rabbit than in cat. In MD rabbits, many cells
develop normally. In cells that do not develop normally, many of the
changes observed can be interpreted as reflecting deficits in inhibitory
functions.
