Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Voltage-sensitive dyes reveal a modular organization in monkey striate cortex

Nature volume 321, pages 579–585 (1986)Cite this article

Abstract

Voltage-sensitive dyes allow neuronal activity to be studied by non-invasive optical techniques. They provide an attractive means of investigating striate cortex, where important response properties are organized in two dimensions. In the present study, patterns of ocular dominance and orientation selectivity were obtained repeatedly from the same patch of cortex using the dye merocyanine oxazolone, together with current image-processing techniques. The patterns observed agree with most established features of monkey striate cortex and suggest a new unit of cortical organization; one that is modular in structure and which appears to link the organization of orientation selectivity with that of ocular dominance.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hubel, D. H. & Wiesel, T. N. J. Physiol., Lond. 160, 106–154 (1962).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Hubel, D. H. & Wiesel, T. N. J. Neurophysiol. 28, 229–289 (1965).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Hubel, D. H. & Wiesel, T. N. J. Physiol., Lond. 195, 215–243 (1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Hubel, D. H. & Wiesel, T. N. Nature 225, 41–42 (1970).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hubel, D. H. & Wiesel, T. N. J. comp. Neurol. 146, 421–450 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Hubel, D. H. & Wiesel, T. N. J. comp. Neurol. 158, 295–306 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Hubel, D. H. & Wiesel, T. N. J. comp. Neurol. 158, 267–294 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Hubel, D. H. & Wiesel, T. N. Proc. R. Soc. B198, 1–59 (1977).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. LeVay, S., Hubel, D. H. & Wiesel, T. N. J. comp. Neurol. 159, 559–576 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Fitzpatrick, D., Lund, J. S. & Blasdel, G. J. Neurosci. 5, 3329–3349 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Sillito, A. M. in Cerebral Cortex Vol. 2 (eds Jones, E. G. & Peters, A.) 91–118 (Plenum, New York, 1984).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  12. Hubel, D. H., Wiesel, T. N. & Stryker, M. J. comp. Neurol. 177, 361–380 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Horton, C. H. & Hubel, D. H. Nature 292, 762–764 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Humphrey, A. L. & Hendrickson, A. E. J. Neurosci. 3, 345–358 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Livingstone, M. S. & Hubel, D. H. J. Neurosci. 4(1), 309–356 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Davila, H. V., Salzberg, B. M., Cohen, L. B. & Waggoner, A. S. Nature new Biol. 241, 159–161 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Salzberg, B. M., Davila, H. V. & Cohen, L. B. Nature 246, 508–509 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Cohen, L. B. et al. J. Membrane Biol. 19, 1–360 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Ross, W. N. et al. J. Membrane Biol. 33, 141–183 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Morad, M. & Salama, G. J. Physiol., Lond. 292, 267–295 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Cohen, L. B. & Salzberg, B. M. Rev. Physiol. Biochem. Pharmac. 83, 35–83 (1978).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Salzberg, B. M. Curr. Meth. cell. Neurobiol. 3, 139–187 (1983).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Orbach, H. S., Cohen, L. B. & Grinvald, A. J. Neurosci. 5, 185–195 (1985).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Salzberg, B. M., Grinvald, A., Cohen, L. B., Davila, H. V. & Ross, W. N. J. Neurosci. 40, 1281–1286 (1977).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Grinvald, A., Cohen, L. B., Lesher, S. & Boyle, M. B. J. Neurophysiol. 45, 829–840 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Salama, G., Sanger, T. & Cohen, L. B. Biol. Bull. 161, 316 (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Blasdel, G. G. & Fitzpatrick, D. J. Neurosci. 4, 880–895 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Sokoloff, L. CIBA Fdn Symp. 56, 171–197 (1978).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Kelley, J. P. & Van Essen, D. C. J. Physiol., Lond. 238, 515–574 (1974).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Ross, W. N. & Reichardt, L. F. J. Membrane Biol. 48, 343–356 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Nakajima, S. & Gilai, A. J. gen. Physiol. 76, 729–750 (1980).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Heiny, J. A. & Vergara, J. J. gen. Physiol. 85, 805–837 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Braitenberg, V & Braitenberg, C. Biol. Cybernet. 33, 179–186 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Rockland, K. S. & Lund, J. S. J. comp. Neurol. 216, 303–313 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Livingstone, M. S. & Hubel, D. H. J. Neurosci. 4, 2830–2835 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Wong-Riley, M. Brain Res. 162, 201–217 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Ophthalmology and Physiology and the Centre for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15261, USA

    Gary G. Blasdel & Guy Salama

Authors
  1. Gary G. Blasdel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Guy Salama
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Blasdel, G., Salama, G. Voltage-sensitive dyes reveal a modular organization in monkey striate cortex. Nature 321, 579–585 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/321579a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/321579a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing