Neurons of the striate cortex driven trans-synaptically by electrical stimulation of the superior colliculus

The latencies of trans-synaptic responses in cells of the striate cortex, following electrical stimulation in the superior colliculus, were evaluated to assess the possible path taken by the neural signal. Most of the recorded striate neurons were judged to be driven by the signal passing back along the axons and then into the collaterals of cortico-tectal cells in lamina 5. The present results indicate that striate neurons, in communicating with the superior colliculus, at the same time, send signals via their collaterals to neighbouring cells in lamina 5 which appear to have similar C or complex receptive fields.