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Interocular control of neuronal responsiveness in cat visual cortex

F Sengpiel¹, C Blakemore

¹University Laboratory of Physiology, University of Oxford, UK.

|April 28, 1994

Summary

New findings show that visual stimuli presented to one eye can suppress neuronal activity in the other eye. This interocular suppression in the visual cortex may prevent double vision by vetoing conflicting visual signals.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Visual Cortex Research
Sensory Processing

Background:

Neurons in the primary visual cortex exhibit orientation selectivity.
Prolonged visual stimulation (adaptation) reduces contrast sensitivity and neuronal gain.
Superimposed stimuli can decrease the response of cortical cells to optimal contours.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate interocular suppression of cortical neuron activity.
To determine if inappropriate stimuli in one eye suppress responses to stimuli in the other eye.
To examine this phenomenon in strabismic cats with impaired binocular facilitation.

Main Methods:

Recording neuronal activity in the cat primary visual cortex.
Presenting visual stimuli of varying orientations and contrasts to one or both eyes.
Analyzing neuronal responses under normal and strabismic conditions.

Main Results:

An inappropriate stimulus in one eye suppressed neuronal activity driven by an optimal stimulus in the other eye.
This interocular suppression occurred even with similar orientations in strabismic cats.
Cortical neurons demonstrated interocular control over their responsiveness.

Conclusions:

Sudden, inappropriate visual input to one eye can suppress neural processing in the contralateral eye.
This interocular suppression mechanism may play a role in preventing perceptual confusion and double vision.
The findings highlight a novel form of visual information gating within the cortex.

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