[Differences in the dynamics of the visual receptive field and its summation zones in the cat].

In acute computer-controlled experiments on immobilized unanasthetized cats, dynamic reorganization of the recorded receptive field and its summation zone were compared for lateral geniculate body and cortical neurons. Counterphasic development of these processes was observed and investigated in detail, i.e. enlargement and then narrowing of the recorded receptive field as compared with narrowing and then enlargement of the summation zone. Differences of physiological mechanisms of these two processes and their possible functional role are discussed.