H. Sato et al., BROAD-TUNED CHROMATIC INPUTS TO COLOR-SELECTIVE NEURONS IN THE MONKEYVISUAL-CORTEX, Journal of neurophysiology, 72(1), 1994, pp. 163-168
1. Input mechanisms of 21 color-selective cells in cytochrome oxidase-
rich blobs in layer II/III of the anesthetized and paralyzed monkey pr
imary visual cortex were studied by an iontophoretic administration of
the GABAergic receptor antagonist bicuculline methiodide (BMI). 2. Co
lor-selective blob cells become responsive to originally nonresponsive
colors of stimuli or brightness contrast stimuli during removal of in
tracortical inhibition. 3. The magnitudes of the cells' responses to c
olor stimuli during BMI administration were larger than the expected v
alue of response calculated from the previously reported color tuning
of color-selective geniculate cells and emission spectra of color stim
ulus. 4. These results suggest that color-selective blob cells receive
a convergence of different types of chromatic inputs and that intraco
rtical inhibition confers selectivity for a given color on them.