Organization of receptive fields of tonic and phasic neurons of the pulvinar in the cat.

The receptive fields (RF) of 163 neurons of the pulvinar were investigated by the method of point testing the RF surface with a stationary, flashing light spot. The RFs of 26% of the neurons were characterized by a phasic pattern of response in all regions studied, while the RFs of 15% of the neurons consisted of only tonic elements. A complex RF organization, consisting of tonic and phasic subfields, was characteristic of 59% of the neurons. On the basis of this fact the postulate is advanced concerning the convergence of two types of afferents on a single pulvinar neuron. The cell population receiving inputs from purely tonic or purely phasic afferents comprises 41% of all cells investigated. The measurement of the latent periods of neuron responses to a stationary, flashing light spot showed that neurons with a phasic type of response are distinguished by a shorter latent period compared to neurons with tonic and mixed types of responses.