Journal of Neurophysiology, Vol 72, Issue 1 266-272, Copyright © 1994 by APS

ARTICLES

Functional development of a central visual map in cat

C. Q. Kao, J. G. McHaffie, M. A. Meredith and B. E. Stein
Department of Physiology, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298.

1. The onset of visual activity in the superficial layers of the cat superior colliculus begins abruptly at about 6 days postnatal (DPN), just before natural eye opening. Despite the presence of many inactive sites at this time, the systematic nature of the superior colliculus visuotopy is already evident. The number of inactive sites across the horizontal dimension of the superficial layers decreases rapidly so that by 9-10 DPN most sites are visually responsive. 2. Initially, visual activity is restricted to the topmost portion of the superficial gray layer, where W-cell terminals predominate, but rapidly extends down to include Y-cell territory at 10 DPN. 3. In contrast to what might have been expected based on earlier behavioral observations, there was no physiological evidence for a central-to-peripheral gradient in the development of the superior colliculus visuotopy. Rather, the entire visual field is well represented long before the expression of any visually initiated behaviors. 4. In contrast to the rapidity of the appearance and organization of the visual representation in superficial layers, deep layers remain refractory to visual stimuli for weeks.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. Jiang, H. Jiang, B. A. Rowland, and B. E. Stein Multisensory Orientation Behavior Is Disrupted by Neonatal Cortical Ablation J Neurophysiol, January 1, 2007; 97(1): 557 - 562. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. T. Wallace, B. N. Carriere, T. J. Perrault Jr, J. W. Vaughan, and B. E. Stein The Development of Cortical Multisensory Integration. J. Neurosci., November 15, 2006; 26(46): 11844 - 11849. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. Jiang, H. Jiang, and B. E. Stein Neonatal Cortical Ablation Disrupts Multisensory Development in Superior Colliculus J Neurophysiol, March 1, 2006; 95(3): 1380 - 1396. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Skaliora, T. P. Doubell, N. P. Holmes, F. R. Nodal, and A. J. King Functional Topography of Converging Visual and Auditory Inputs to Neurons in the Rat Superior Colliculus J Neurophysiol, November 1, 2004; 92(5): 2933 - 2946. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. P. Doubell, I. Skaliora, J. Baron, and A. J. King Functional Connectivity between the Superficial and Deeper Layers of the Superior Colliculus: An Anatomical Substrate for Sensorimotor Integration J. Neurosci., July 23, 2003; 23(16): 6596 - 6607. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. T. Wallace and B. E. Stein Sensory and Multisensory Responses in the Newborn Monkey Superior Colliculus J. Neurosci., November 15, 2001; 21(22): 8886 - 8894. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. J. King, J. W. H. Schnupp, and I. D. Thompson Signals from the Superficial Layers of the Superior Colliculus Enable the Development of the Auditory Space Map in the Deeper Layers J. Neurosci., November 15, 1998; 18(22): 9394 - 9408. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. T. Wallace, J. G. McHaffie, and B. E. Stein Visual Response Properties and Visuotopic Representation in the Newborn Monkey Superior Colliculus J Neurophysiol, November 1, 1997; 78(5): 2732 - 2741. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. T. Wallace and B. E. Stein Development of Multisensory Neurons and Multisensory Integration in Cat Superior Colliculus J. Neurosci., April 1, 1997; 17(7): 2429 - 2444. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]