The visual evoked potential in the mouse—Origins and response characteristics

• Published in: Vision research (Oxford) 2006-03, Vol.46 (6), p.902-913
• Main Authors: Ridder, W.H., Nusinowitz, S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acuity; Adaptation, Ocular - physiology; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Dark Adaptation; Electrophysiology; Electroretinogram; Electroretinography; Evoked Potentials, Visual - physiology; Flicker Fusion - physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Mutant Strains; Mouse; Perception; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Retinal Cone Photoreceptor Cells - physiology; Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells - physiology; Spatial; Sweep; Temporal; Vision; Visual Acuity - physiology; Visual Cortex - physiology; Visual evoked potential; Visual Pathways - physiology
• ISSN: 0042-6989; 1878-5646
• DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2005.09.006

The visual evoked potential (VEP) in the mouse is characterized and compared to responses obtained with the electroretinogram (ERG). The results indicate that: 1, the VEP originates in the visual cortex; 2, the rod and cone pathways contribute separately to the VEP; 3, temporal tuning functions for rod and cone ERGs are low pass and band pass, respectively; VEP tuning functions are both band pass; and 4, VEP acuity is 0.62 ± 0.156 cycles/degree. The differences in the spatial and temporal tuning functions obtained from the retina and visual cortex provides a tool to investigate signal processing through the visual system.