Orientation bias in the response of kitten LGNd neurons to moving light bars

The orientation sensitivity to moving light bars was determined for 113 neurons in laminae A, A1 and C of the dorsal part of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGNd) of kittens 7-42 days old. Forty neurons (35.4%) were biased to contrast orientation (OB neurons), i.e. their response to an optimally oriented bar was 2-10 times stronger than their response to a bar oriented orthogonally to the optimal. The remaining 73 neurons were not sensitive to contrast orientation. Evidence is presented that orientation bias in the LGNd develops prior to visual experience. Orientation biased responses in the LGNd strongly depended on stimulus parameters; preferred stimuli were light bars having a length of 5 degrees or more and moving at velocities slower than 5 degrees/s. Our findings suggest that the OB neurons of the LGNd could be effective in generating the early orientation sensitivity in the visual cortex.