Adaptive sensitivity of the surround mechanism of cat retinal ganglion cells.

The spatial distribution of the surround's adaptation mechanism was studied in X- and Y-cells in the cat's retina. Adaptive sensitivity was assessed with adapting annuli with equal-area, but variable position and with adapting annuli with variable size. The results provide evidence that adaptive sensitivity of the surround's adaptive mechanism is higher in the center of the receptive field of Y-cells than of X-cells.