"The micro-organization of receptive field properties in primary visual cortex"

Ian Nauhaus, Ph.D.
Systems Neurobiology Laboratories
The Salk Institute for Biological Sciences

Reception with refreshments at 11:30 a.m.

ABSTRACT: Decades of research using single electrode recordings in primary visual cortex (V1) have provided rigorous quantification of many receptive field properties, including spatial, temporal, and chromatic selectivities.   However, these studies are unable to provide us with an understanding of

how the population response in V1 is shaped by visual input. To do so requires a dense cell-by-cell sampling of responses within the cortical space ("functional micro-organization").  I'll be discussing my research

using novel advances with two-photon calcium imaging to characterize the functional micro-organization of macaque V1.  I'll first show evidence that tight relationships exist between maps of some classic receptive

field properties.  Second, I will describe recent analyses that demonstrate the tiling of visual space by the receptive fields of the imaged neuronal clusters. Current results suggest that a model describing the overall functional micro-organization of superficial V1 is attainable with two-photon imaging. Such a model is both promising and crucial for formulating the information content provided to extrastriate areas.  I will finish by describing my future plans for complementary experiments to investigate subpopulations of V1 projection neurons with retrograde viral vectors.