Development of neuronal responses in cat posteromedial lateral suprasylvian visual cortex

We studied the normal development of responses to visual stimulation among neurons in the posteromedial lateral suprasylvian (PMLS) visual cortex, an extrastriate visual cortical area in cats. Recordings were made from 495 single neurons in 19 kittens that were 2, 3, 4, 8, or 12 weeks of age, and the results were compared with those from normal adult cats. The percentage of neurons that respond to light increased from 57% in 2-week-old kittens to approximately adult values in 8-week-old kittens (81%). The strength and consistency of neuronal responses also increased with age. Nearly all of the responsive cells had well-defined excitatory receptive-field centers, and the receptive-field center sizes were similar to adults at all ages studied. However, few cells (5%) had inhibitory receptive-field surrounds in 2-week-old kittens. The incidence of surround inhibition increased to adult levels (about 40% of the cells) by 8 weeks of age, and the strength of surround inhibition also increased with age. Most cells responded best to moving stimuli in 2-week-old kittens, just as in adults. However, only about 20% of the responsive cells were direction sensitive at 2 weeks of age. The percentage of direction-sensitive cells increased gradually with age and reached approximately adult values by 8 weeks of age (74%). Once cells developed complete direction selectivity, with no response in the null direction, directional tuning width was similar to that in adults. When tested with slits of light flashed at various orientations or with spots and slits moving in various directions, few cells (8% or less) showed orientation selectivity at any age, just as in adults. Most of the cells were binocularly driven, and the ocular dominance distribution was similar to adults at all ages studied. These results indicate that many response properties of PMLS neurons are similar to those of adults as early as 2 weeks of age, soon after the time of eye opening. However, some properties show marked developmental changes. The mechanisms and sources of these changes are considered. In addition, the relevance of these results to mechanisms of compensation following early damage to visual cortical areas 17, 18 and 19 is discussed.