Self-organization model of cytochrome oxidase blobs and ocular dominance columns in the primary visual cortex.

There are regularly arranged blobs that contain neurons labeled by cytochrome oxidase (CO) in the supragranular layer of the primary visual cortex (V1) of monkeys and cats. This theoretical study demonstrates that CO-blob-like patterns can be reproduced based on the thermodynamic model for the activity-dependent self-organization of afferent inputs from two different groups of neurons to the supragranular layer of the visual cortex. Computer simulation based on the model shows that within a particular parameter range each blob is centered in the ocular dominance (OD) band, as observed in macaque monkeys and galagos. Furthermore, by increasing the strength of correlation in activity between inputs from the two eyes, nearby blobs merge across OD borders, as seen in the cat visual cortex. Finally, for monocular deprivation, blobs in the deprived eyes shrink as observed in monkeys and cats. For binocular deprivation, less intensely labeled blobs were reproduced, while the blob density did not change as observed in monkeys.