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K L Chow

Publications and source records attributed to K L Chow.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Effects of monocular lid closure on development of receptive-field characteristics of neurons in rabbit superior colliculus.

1. The receptive-field characteristics of superior colliculus neurons were studied in rabbit pups that had one eyelid sutured prior to eye opening. Units recorded from the superior colliculus (SC) receiving input from the unsutured eye provided normal developmental data, and those from the colliculus receiving input from the sutured eye were used to study the effect of visual deprivation. 2. A total of 1,054 cells recorded from 89 animals ranging in age from 7 to 35 days were obtained, 514 cells in the normal colliculus and 540 cells in the deprived colliculus. During normal development, three nonoriented cell types (concentric, uniform, motion) showed a progressive increase in relative frequency of occurrence, starting at about 7 days and reaching the adult level at about 15 days. Directionally selective cells developed slightly later, reaching an adult level at 3 wk. Oriented directional cells were the slowest to mature, requiring about 4 wk to reach the final level. 3. Eyelid suturing significantly affected the oriented directional cell development; these cells developed at a normal rate for about 3 wk, then rather abruptly began to decrease in number; a stable relative frequency of about one-fourth the normal value was reached at about 4 wk. A corresponding increase in the relative number of indefinite cells to above the normal level also occurred. In contrast, the development of nonoriented cells and directionally selective cells was not affected by the deprivation. 4. The development of rabbit superior colliculus receptive fields was found to be, in general, similar to development of kitten SC receptive fields. It also correlates well with developmental changes seen in rabbit ganglion cell receptive fields and with anatomical changes in developing rabbit SC. Indirect support is given for the hypothesis that changes seen in SC with deprivation are secondary to changes in the visual cortex.

Animals↗

Receptive field characteristics of neurons in a visual area of the rabbit temporal cortex.

In a program of surveying the characteristics of visual receptive fields of neurons in rabbit brain, we have explored cortical sectors beyond the striate and occipital cortices and found cells in a part of the temporal lobe that were responsive to visual stimulation. Using evoked potential and unit-cluster methods, this temporal visual area was mapped to be roughly oval-shaped, 3 mm x 2mm in size, and at about the level posterior to the apex region of auditory area 1. It is located ventral to and continuous with visual area 11, at about the caudal half of M. Rose's temporal cortices 1 and 2 (T1 and T2). Only about two-thirds of 96 units studied responded to some sort of moving light stimulation. These motion-sensitive cells were divided into four groups. Cells in the first group (22) responded best to a large light spot or shadow sweeping quickly across the field. Cells in the second group (29) responded to slow moving, jerking spot. Nine cells responded to a narrow, dark bar thrusting into a lighted field. Four cells are "direction-selective," responding to light stimulus moving in one direction and showing either no response or decreased background discharges in the opposite direction. In addition, three cells required unusual stimulus features. Of the 38 cells tested, nine of them were found to be binocularly driven. These receptive field characteristics are quite different from those described for other visual centers of the rabbit. The significance of these results together with data on the anatomical connections of this cortical area as reported in the following paper were discussed.

Animals↗

Anatomical studies of a temporal visual area in the rabbit.

Using Fink-Heimer, autoradiographic and horseradish peroxidase techniques, the connections of a temporal visual cortical region of the rabbit were explored. The temporal visual area covers portions of areas T1 and T2, and is reciprocally connected with the posterior nucleus and suprageniculate nuclei of the thalamus. It was also shown that the temporal visual area projects to a similar region in the opposite hemisphere, and to intermediate laminae of the superior colliculus. The temporal visual area is discussed in comparison to other similar regions in the cortex of primate species. It is pointed out that recent evidence indicates visual areas in the occipital cortex of non-primate species may be no less numerous and complex than those in primate species.

Animals↗

Ontogenesis of receptive field characteristics in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the rabbit.

The responses of rabbit dorsal lateral geniculate neurons to light or optic nerve shock were tested for 415 units in 43 rabbit pups 2--20 days of age. Units were driven by optic nerve shock at the youngest ages tested, but could not be driven by light until postnatal day six. Examples of each of the three prominent categories of receptive fields found in the adult were first observed at 8 days of age. Cells with receptive field properties not characteristic of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the adult were encountered until 17 days of age. The percentage of neurons with uniform and motion sensitive receptive fields approached adult levels soon after eye opening (11--12 days) but the percentage of cells with concentric receptive fields showed a steady increase throughout the neonatal period studied. The relevance of our data to the development of the visual response in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus and striate cortex is discussed.

Animals↗

Development of receptive fields in rabbit visual cortex: changes in time course due to delayed eye-opening.

Rabbit pups had one eye sutured closed before the time at which the eyes normally open. At 20-27 days of age, single-unit recordings were made both from the striate cortex contralateral to the sutured eye (deprived cortex) and from that contralateral to the eye which had opened normally (control cortex). The percentages of units encountered which fell into various receptive field categories differed on the two sides. The deprived cortices had a lower percentage of visually responsive cells, a higher percentage of indefinite cells, and totally lacked cells sensitive to orientation of a stimulus bar. In these respects they closely resembled previous observations on rabbit pups just before normal eye-opening. By contrast, the control cortices of the same animals were comparable to normally reared rabbits of the same age. We conclude, therefore, that developmental events which normally follow eye-opening can be affected in their time course by delaying eye-opening.

Aging↗

Development of rabbit visual cortex: late appearance of a class of receptive fields.

In young rabbits before the age at which the eyes open, only three of the seven receptive field types described in the adult visual cortex are detectable. The remaining four receptive field types-which share the property of having radially asymmetric fields-appear later, coincident with a decline in the percentage of cells that are visually responsive but not classifiable as to receptive field type.

Action Potentials↗