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Retinotopic distribution of chromatic responses in human primary visual cortex

Vanni, S; Henriksson, L.; Viikari, M; James, Andrew

Description

In non-human primates at least three anatomically and functionally distinct channels convey signals from the retina to the primary visual cortex (V1). Two of these channels, the parvocellular and the koniocellular, are sensitive to chromatic contrasts and form the basis of color vision. In humans, common phylogenetic history with other primates and psychophysical experiments suggest identical retinocortical mechanisms but separate evaluation of the distinct anatomical channels has been...[Show more]

dc.contributor.authorVanni, S
dc.contributor.authorHenriksson, L.
dc.contributor.authorViikari, M
dc.contributor.authorJames, Andrew
dc.date.accessioned2015-12-08T22:20:09Z
dc.identifier.issn0953-816X
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1885/31868
dc.description.abstractIn non-human primates at least three anatomically and functionally distinct channels convey signals from the retina to the primary visual cortex (V1). Two of these channels, the parvocellular and the koniocellular, are sensitive to chromatic contrasts and form the basis of color vision. In humans, common phylogenetic history with other primates and psychophysical experiments suggest identical retinocortical mechanisms but separate evaluation of the distinct anatomical channels has been difficult because signals are already combined in V1. We studied the spatial distribution of activation to chromatic stimuli along the two opponent chromatic axes in human V1 with multifocal functional magnetic resonance imaging. The signal strength was quantified from three experiments with stimuli up to 20° eccentricity. The hypothesis was that, although the parvo- and koniocellular signals are mixed in V1, distinct distributions of signal strength would be evident. We found that whereas different conditions activated the same areas of cortex, indicating that they have identical magnification factors, the responses to red/green stimulation were stronger close to the fovea whereas the blue/yellow responses were much less diminished with increasing eccentricity. Both chromatic axes showed saturating contrast response functions. Our measure directly from human V1 is in line with earlier psychophysical studies suggesting relatively stronger parvocellular channel representation close to the fovea, and more uniform distribution of the koniocellular and achromatic channels. In addition, our study presents a way to rapidly quantify retinotopic signal transmission in distinct retinocortical pathways of individual subjects.
dc.publisherBlackwell Publishing Ltd
dc.sourceEuropean Journal of Neuroscience
dc.subjectKeywords: adult; article; female; functional magnetic resonance imaging; human; human experiment; hypothesis; male; neuroophthalmology; neurophysiology; normal human; priority journal; psychophysics; quantitative analysis; retina fovea; signal transduction; visual Color vision; Koniocellular pathway; Multifocal functional magnetic resonance imaging; Parvocellular pathway
dc.titleRetinotopic distribution of chromatic responses in human primary visual cortex
dc.typeJournal article
local.description.notesImported from ARIES
local.identifier.citationvolume24
dc.date.issued2006
local.identifier.absfor060805 - Animal Neurobiology
local.identifier.absfor110903 - Central Nervous System
local.identifier.ariespublicationu9204316xPUB86
local.type.statusPublished Version
local.contributor.affiliationVanni, S, Helsinki University of Technology
local.contributor.affiliationHenriksson, L., Helsinki University of Technology
local.contributor.affiliationViikari, M, Helsinki University of Technology
local.contributor.affiliationJames, Andrew, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU
local.description.embargo2037-12-31
local.bibliographicCitation.startpage1821
local.bibliographicCitation.lastpage1831
local.identifier.doi10.1111/j.1460-9568.2006.05070.x
dc.date.updated2015-12-08T08:28:23Z
local.identifier.scopusID2-s2.0-33748915594
CollectionsANU Research Publications

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