Neural mechanisms for processing binocular information I. Simple cells

Citation
A. Anzai et al., Neural mechanisms for processing binocular information I. Simple cells, J NEUROPHYS, 82(2), 1999, pp. 891-908
Citations number
99
Categorie Soggetti
Neurosciences & Behavoir
Journal title
JOURNAL OF NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
ISSN journal
00223077 → ACNP
Volume
82
Issue
2
Year of publication
1999
Pages
891 - 908
Database
ISI
SICI code
0022-3077(199908)82:2<891:NMFPBI>2.0.ZU;2-V
Abstract
The visual system integrates information from the left and right eyes and c onstructs a visual world that is perceived as single and three dimensional. To understand neural mechanisms underlying this process, it is important t o learn about how signals from the two eyes interact at the level of single neurons. Using a sophisticated receptive field (RF) mapping technique that employs binary m-sequences, we have determined the rules of binocular inte ractions exhibited by simple cells in the cat's striate cortex in relation to the structure of their monocular RFs. We find that binocular interaction RFs of most simple cells are well described as the product of left and rig ht eye RFs. Therefore the binocular interactions depend not only on binocul ar disparity but also on monocular stimulus position or phase. The binocula r interaction RF is consistent with that predicted by a model of a linear b inocular filter followed by a static nonlinearity. The static nonlinearity is shown to have a shape of a half-power function with an average exponent of similar to 2. Although the initial binocular convergence of signals is l inear, the static nonlinearity makes binocular interaction multiplicative a t the output of simple cells. This multiplicative binocular interaction is a key ingredient for the computation of interocular cross-correlation, an a lgorithm for solving the stereo correspondence problem. Therefore simple ce lls may perform initial computations necessary to solve this problem.