Neural responses to velocity gradients in macaque cortical area MT

Visual motion, i.e. the pattern of changes on the retinae caused by the motion of objects or the observer through the environment, contains important cues for the accurate perception of the three-dimensional layout of the visual scene. In this study, we investigate if neurons in the visual system, specifically in area MT of the macaque monkey, are able to differentiate between various velocity gradients. Our stimuli were random dot patterns designed to eliminate stimulus variables other than the orientation of a velocity gradient. We develop a stimulus space ("deformation space") that allows us to easily parameterize our stimuli. We demonstrate that a substantial proportion of MT cells show tuned responses to our various velocity gradients, often exceeding the response evoked by an optimized flat velocity profile. This suggests that MT cells are able to represent complex aspects of the visual environment and that their properties make them well suited as building blocks for the complex receptive field properties encountered in higher areas, such as area MST to which many cells in area MT project.