On the sensitivity of complex cells in feline striate cortex to relative motion

Responses of superficial-layer, texture-sensitive complex cells in cat striate cortex to relative motion between an oriented bar stimulus and its textured background were recorded. Some cells responded best to motion in one particular direction across the receptive field of the cell, irrespective of whether the bar and background moved simultaneously in the same (in-phase) or opposite (antiphase) directions. Others showed a clear preference for either in-phase or antiphase relative motion, irrespective of direction of motion across the receptive field.