The electrophysiological basis of colour processing in macaques with V4 lesions

Monkeys with lesions of visual area V4 have deficits in colour constancy, but are able to discriminate hues and segment the spectrum in a categorical manner. To investigate the nature of the processing mechanisms subserving the spared functions we recorded occipital visual evoked potentials (VEPs) of normal monkeys and monkeys with bilateral lesions of area V4. The stimuli used to elicit the potentials were chromatic and achromatic gratings of low spatial frequency. The waveforms from the two groups of animals were similar in all respects. VEPs for the onset of a chromatic grating were negative-going, indicative of the activity of sustained units, as opposed to those elicited by offset or reversal of the grating which were positive-going. The amplitude of the chromatic, 12.5 Hz reversal VEP went through a minimum at isoluminance, in accord with low temporal resolution of colour processing. The VEP waveforms were identical in character from three weeks to approximately four years post-operatively. These data indicate that chromatic processing in areas V1 and V2 is normal after V4 lesions and, together with the behavioural evidence, that these areas are sufficient for some basic aspects of colour perception.