ON and OFF channels in human retinal ganglion cells

The ON and OFF channels are basic functional elements in parallel processing in the visual system in vertebrates including primates. We analysed the responses of the optic tract fibre activity in response to switching a flashlight on or off in 25 awake patients with Parkinson's disease who underwent stereotactic surgery targeting the internal globus pallidus. The responses were evoked in a darkened room by a light with a luminance of approximately 4 × 10(4) cd m(-2) at the eye and a wide-spectrum wavelength. Most of the responses at the light on event were excitatory (38 out of 41 sites, 93%). Thirty-five sites with increase in activity at the light on event showed reciprocal responses or no responses to light off, and these sites were classified as containing ON fibres. In single-fibre analysis, all of 14 ON fibres were recorded at the sites of multi-fibre excitatory responses. Six sites showed multi-fibre excitatory responses at the light off event; three sites showed sustained reduction in activity at the light on event, and these three sites were classified as containing OFF fibres. In single-fibre analysis, two OFF fibres were recorded at the sites of multi-fibre suppressive responses at the light on event, and the other two OFF fibres were recorded at the sites of multi-fibre excitatory responses at the light on event. We found that all excitatory responses to light on were transient, while all but one excitatory responses to light off were sustained. Reduction in activity tended to be smaller than increase in activity at the light on event. These results demonstrate that the ON and OFF channels, and their transient and sustained features function in visual processing in humans.