Quantifying the variability of patterns of orientation domains in the visual cortex of cats

In the visual cortex, orientation domains are arranged in complex patterns, assumed to exhibit a high degree of interindividual variability. In the pr esent study, we quantitatively analyzed this variability using 2-deoxygluco se (2-DG) labeled patterns of orientation domains in area 17 of cat visual cortex. We calculated wavelengths, correlation-lengths, anisotropy paramete rs and band-parallelism parameters within the entire area 17 and analyzed t heir statistical relationships. All parameters vary considerably among diff erent individuals and appear to be statistically independent. These analyse s identify sensitive quantitative indicators for the overall similarity and dissimilarity of cortical orientation maps and confirm their strong interi ndividual variability. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.