Current source density (CSD) analysis of retinal field potentials. I. Methodological considerations and depth profiles.

1. The technique of current source density (CSD) analysis was used to obtain depth profiles of light-evoked source/sink distributions in the retina of the frog. 2. The effects of a number of methodological considerations on the CSD profiles were explored. Adoption of best technique leads to minimal variability and noise in the CSD profiles. Several situations that give rise to artifactual source/sinks were identified. 3. At the time of the b-wave peak, there is a large sink near the outer plexiform layer (OPL), a source at the inner limiting membrane (ILM), and a complex response at the inner plexiform layer (IPL). 4. The IPL response at light onset consists of 1) an initial, sharp sink, followed by 2) a slower source with a time course similar to the b-wave, and last 3) an even slower sink with a time course similar to the M-wave. 5. The first component of the IPL response is the current sink for the proximal negative response (PNR) elicited by a diffuse light stimulus. The PNR has current sources both proximal and distal to this layer. 6. The OPL sink underlies the b-wave. The second component of the IPL response is a source for the b-wave. Part of the ILM source also might be a b-wave source. 7. A large part of the ILM source is the current source for the M-wave. The third component of the IPL response is the M-wave sink, but it is small because it subtractively interacts with the IPL b-wave source.