Recording Inhibition and Excitation in the Cat's Retinal Ganglion Cells with Intracellular Electrodes

Abstract

IN the light-adapted state, the receptive fields of retinal ganglion cells in the cat consist of excitatory and inhibitory areas. Thus predominantly excitatory and inhibitory pathways converging on a ganglion cell can be stimulated selectively¹ and thereby the mechanism of excitation and inhibition can be studied. It has recently become possible to record from retinal ganglion cells with intracellular leads for short periods². In the present study, penetrations into cells were fairly frequent; but most cells gave injury discharges and their membrane potentials declined within several minutes. However, intracellular records from some ganglion cells were recorded with stable membrane potentials of 50–70 mV. for as long as 20 min. Discharge patterns were similar to those obtained during extracellular recordings.