The organization and function of neuronal connections in the primary visual cortex of the cat are to be studied with particular interest in the construction of visual receptive field properties. Electrophysiological methods--intracellular recordings of synaptic potentials evoked by electrical stimulation in the visual pathways--will first be used to identify intracortical projections. Differences between neurons in the projections that they receive will then be correlated with differences in laminar position and receptive field properties. Finally, the responses of synaptic potentials to visual stimulation will be examined. It is argued that the cortex provides an almost unique opportunity for a combination of electrical and natural stimulation, allowing identification of the major synaptic inputs to a cell and the observation of their function under more natural circumstances. The experiments are technically demanding, but recent detailed descriptions of cortical anatomy have made it more possible than before to interpret the complex patterns of EPSPs evoked by electrical stimulation in a tissue as intricately interconnected as the visual system. The proposed experiments as planned will provide a direct view of aspects of cortical function that have been under debate since the original description of cortical receptive fields.
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