A model for the depth-dependence of receptive field size and contrast sensitivity of cells in layer 4C of macaque striate cortex

A model of LGN-input to layer 4C of macaque primary visual cortex has been used to test the hypothesis that feedforward convergence of P- and M-inputs onto layer 4C spiny stellate neurons is sufficient to explain the observed gradual change in receptive field size and contrast sensitivity with depth in the layer. Overlap of dendrites of postsynaptic neurons between M- and P-input zones proved sufficient to explain change in the lower two-thirds of layer 4C, while more rapid change in upper 4C was matched by proposing two different M-inputs with partial overlap in upper 4C alpha.