Abstract
Recent models have attempted to reconcile low psychophysical orientation and spatial-frequency discrimination thresholds with relatively broad orientation and spatial-frequency tuning of cortical neurons. These models have relied on the ability of the neurons to convert small stimulus changes into reliable response changes. We have examined this ability in a sample of neurons from the cat’s striate cortex. We present here data from two cells that reliably signaled the smallest orientation and spatial-frequency differences. Using receiver operating characteristic analysis, we find that these cells could reliably signal orientation differences of 1.84 deg and spatial-frequency differences of 0.073 octave. We compare these single-cell results to cat and human behavioral discrimination thresholds.
© 1985 Optical Society of America
Full Article | PDF ArticleMore Like This
Andrew Parker and Mike Hawken
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 2(7) 1101-1114 (1985)
D. Regan
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 2(7) 1153-1159 (1985)
D. Regan and K. I. Beverley
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 2(2) 147-155 (1985)