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Stationary pattern adaptation and the early components in human visual evoked potentials.

Pattern-onset visual evoked potentials were elicited from humans by sinusoidal gratings of 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 cpd (cycles/degree) following adaptation to a blank field or one of the gratings. The wave forms recorded after blank field adaptation showed an early positive component, P0, which decreased in amplitude with spatial frequency, whereas the immediately succeeding negative component, N1, increased in amplitude with spatial frequency. P0 and N1 components of comparable size were recorded at 1 cpd. Stationary pattern adaptation to a grating of the same spatial frequency as the test grating significantly reduced N1 amplitude at 4, 2 and 1 cpd. The N1 component elicited at 4 cpd was attenuated in log-linear fashion as the spatial frequency of the adaptation grating increased. P0, on the other hand, was unaffected by stationary pattern adaptation at all combinations of test and adapting spatial frequencies, although P0 amplitude is known to be attenuated by adaptation to a drifting grating. Since N1, but not P0, was significantly attenuated following adaptation and testing at 1 cpd, it was concluded that the neurons generating these components are functionally distinct. The use of a common adaptation grating discounted the possibility that N1, but not P0, was affected due to a difference in the rates of retinal image modulation caused by eye movements made while viewing adaptation gratings of different spatial frequencies. The neurons generating N1 were adapted at a lower rate of retinal image modulation than that apparently required for adaptation of the neurons generating P0, which suggests a difference between these neurons in the rate of stimulus modulation necessary for activation.

Adaptation, Ocular↗

Fos responses to short-term adaptation of the horizontal vestibuloocular reflex before and after vestibular compensation in the Mongolian gerbil.

Fos expression in vestibular brainstem and cerebellar regions was evaluated during vestibular adaptation in the Mongolian gerbil. In addition, vestibular adaptation was evaluated in both normal and compensated animals, as vestibular compensation reorganizes the vestibular pathway constraining adaptive processes. Behaviorally, discordant optokinetic and vestibular input induced appropriate high and low gain in horizontal angular vestibuloocular reflex responses. In normal animals, low gain adaptation was more complete than high gain. However, in compensated animals, only low gain adaptation produced adaptive responses both toward and away from the lesion with appropriate gain shifts. High gain adaptation in compensated animals failed to result in gain adaptation for head movements toward the side of the lesion. Fos expression during acute vestibular adaptation in normal animals was found in the flocculus/paraflocculus, the dorsal cap of the inferior olive (IOK), and the prepositus hypoglossi (PrH). Floccular Fos labeling was increased under both high and low gain conditions. IOK and PrH labeling was increased and correlated during low gain conditions, but was reduced and uncorrelated during high gain conditions. The pattern of Fos labeling in compensated animals was asymmetric-favoring the ipsilesional flocculus and contralesional vestibular brainstem. Both compensated high and low gain adaptation groups displayed increased floccular and IOK Fos labeling, but only compensated high gain adaptation produced increased Fos labeling in the medial vestibular nucleus. The behavioral and Fos labeling results are consistent with visual-vestibular adaptation requiring direct vestibular input.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Acid adaptation affects the viability of Salmonella typhimurium during the lactic fermentation of skim milk and product storage.

In this study, Salmonella typhimurium was acid adapted at pH 5.5 for 4 h. The viability of the acid-adapted and non-adapted cells of S. typhimurium was investigated both during the lactic fermentation of skim milk with Streptococcus thermophilus or Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and during the storage of lactic fermented milk products at 5 degrees C. It was found that the viable population of S. typhimurium, regardless of acid adaptation, increased in skim milk during the initial 24 h of lactic fermentation and then declined. However, the viable population of acid-adapted S. typhimurium was significantly higher (P<.05) than that of non-adapted cell at the end of 48 h of fermentation. Acid-adapted cells of S. typhimurium were also found to have survived better than non-adapted cells in the S. thermophilus-prepared fermented milk and two commercial lactic fermented milk products. The viability of the acid-adapted and non-adapted S. typhimurium at 5 and 37 degrees C in cell-free fermented milks that had their pHs adjusted to 6.4 and skim milk (pH 6.4) was further investigated. Results revealed that acid adaptation, in addition to enhancing acid tolerance, reduced the susceptibility of S. typhimurium to refrigerated temperature and other detrimental factors which might be present in lactic fermented milk products. These responses all contribute to the enhanced survival of acid-adapted S. typhimurium in the lactic fermented milk products observed in the present study.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Slant perception, and its voluntary control, do not govern the slant aftereffect: multiple slant signals adapt independently.

Although it is known that high-level spatial attention affects adaptation for a variety of stimulus features (including binocular disparity), the influence of voluntary attentional control-and the associated awareness-on adaptation has remained unexplored. We developed an ambiguous surface slant adaptation stimulus with conflicting monocular and binocular slant signals that instigated two mutually exclusive surface percepts with opposite slants. Using intermittent stimulus removal, subjects were able to voluntarily select one of the two rivaling slant percepts for extended adaptation periods, enabling us to dissociate slant adaptation due to awareness from stimulus-induced slant adaptation. We found that slant aftereffects (SAE) for monocular and binocular test patterns had opposite signs when measured simultaneously. There was no significant influence of voluntarily controlled perceptual state during adaptation on SAEs of monocular or binocular signals. In addition, the magnitude of the binocular SAE did not correlate with the magnitude of perceived slant. Using adaptation to one slant cue, and testing with the other cue, we demonstrated that multiple slant signals adapt independently. We conclude that slant adaptation occurs before the level of slant awareness. Our findings place the site of stereoscopic slant adaptation after disparity and eye posture are interpreted for slant [as demonstrated by Berends et al. (Berends, E. M., Liu, B., & Schor, C. M. (2005). Stereo-slant adaptation is high level and does not involve disparity coding. Journal of Vision 5 (1), 71-80), using that disparity scales with distance], but before other slant signals are integrated for the resulting awareness of the presented slant stimulus.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Generation of survival signal by differential interaction of p38MAPKalpha and p38MAPKbeta with caveolin-1 and caveolin-3 in the adapted heart.

Sphingomyelin breakdown product ceramide has recently been found to induce an adaptive response and reduce myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. Since activation of MAP kinases plays an essential role in myocardial adaptation to ischemic stress and since ceramide is involved in lipid raft formation where MAP kinases can be translocated in response to stress, we reasoned that preconditioning may potentiate the translocation of MAP kinases into the lipid raft. To test the hypothesis, rats were divided into five groups: (i) control, (ii) ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), (iii) I/R+C-2 ceramide, (iv) adapted and (v) adapted+desipramine, an inhibitor of ceramide formation. Isolated hearts were preperfused for 15 min with Krebs Henseleit bicarbonate (KHB) buffer in the absence or presence of 10 microM desipramine followed by adaptation induced by four cyclic episodes of 5 min ischemia and 10 min reperfusion. For myocardial adaptation to ischemia with ceramide, the hearts were perfused with 1 microM C-2 ceramide. All hearts were then subjected to 30 min ischemia and 2 h of reperfusion. As expected, both ischemic adaptation and ceramide adaptation made the heart resistant to I/R injury as evidenced by improved ventricular performance and reduced myocardial infarct size and cardiomyocyte apoptosis, which were significantly blocked with desipramine indicating the involvement of ceramide in ischemic adaptation. Ceramide also participated in the formation of lipid raft, and desipramine disrupted the raft formation. In the adapted hearts, there was an increased association of the proapoptotic p38MAPKalpha with caveolin-1 while there was a reduced association of anti-apoptotic p38MAPKbeta with caveolin-3 indicating reduced amount of p38MAPKalpha and increased amount of p38MAPKbeta were available to the adapted hearts thereby generating a survival signal. Desipramine decreased the association of P38MAPKalpha and C-2 ceramide increased the association of P38MAPKalpha with the lipid raft. The survival signal was further confirmed by increased phosphorylation of AKT and enhanced induction of expression of Bcl-2 during adaptation and its reversal with desipramine. The results indicated a unique ceramide signaling the ischemic and PC hearts involving lipid rafts, which generated a survival signal by differentially associating the p38MAPKalpha and p38MAPKbeta with the caveolin-1 and caveoli-3, respectively.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Effects of nitric oxide, light adaptation and APB on spectral characteristics of H1 horizontal cells in carp retina.

The spectral characteristics of cone-driven horizontal cells of H1 subtype (H1 HCs) receiving main synaptic input from red-sensitive cones were studied in light- and dark-adapted retinae of carp. The spectral sensitivity profile of H1 HCs in dark-adapted retinae was practically the same as the absorption spectrum of red-sensitive cones. Light-adaptation decreased the sensitivity preferentially in the short-wavelength (blue/green) region, resulting in a relative enhancement of the 617 nm peak. Application of nitric oxide (NO) donors, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and S-nitrosoglutathione (SNOG or GSNO), or dopamine to dark-adapted retinae decreased the sensitivity preferentially in blue/green region, an effect similar to that of light-adaptation. Application of haemoglobin (Hb, an NO scavenger) or 2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate (APB, a metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist), to light-adapted retinae increased the sensitivity preferentially in the blue/green region, an effect similar to dark-adaptation. The photoresponses of H1 HCs were univariant in dark-adapted retinae as well as Hb-treated light-adapted retinae. In light-adapted retinae with normal Ringer, however, the univariance did not hold. These results suggested that the photoresponses of H1 HCs to short-wavelength stimuli contain a depolarising (sign-reversing) component, which can be activated by light-adaptation or application of NO and dopamine, and inactivated by dark-adaptation or deprivation of NO or application of APB.

Adaptation, Ocular↗

Background adaptation and synapse plasticity in the pars intermedia of Xenopus laevis.

The amphibian Xenopus laevis adapts the colour of its skin to the colour of its background, by the release of the pro-opiomelanocortin-derived peptide alpha-melanophore-stimulating hormone from the pars intermedia of the pituitary gland. Suprachiasmatic neurons play an important role in adaptation to a light background as they produce the neurotransmitters GABA, dopamine and neuropeptide Y, which inhibit the release of alpha-melanophore-stimulating hormone. These factors are transported to axon varicosities contacting the melanotrope cells. In these varicosities GABA resides in electron-lucent vesicles and neuropeptide Y and dopamine coexist in electron-dense vesicles. In this study the effects of background adaptation on the morphology of the varicosities in the pars intermedia were studied, using immunoelectron microscopy and morphometry with freeze-substitution-fixed material. Varicosities were found singly and in clusters throughout the pars intermedia. Varicosities were identified by the presence of electron-dense and electron-lucent secretory vesicles, the latter being immunopositive for anti-GABA. Both varicosity types revealed active zones with exclusively GABA-containing vesicles in contact with the presynaptic membrane. When white- and black-adapted animals were compared, significant background effects were found with respect to the organization of the varicosities: the density of varicosity profiles was twice as high in white-adapted animals as in black-adapted ones, due to an increase in density of the clustered varicosities. Furthermore, in white-adapted animals varicosities were about twice as large as in black-adapted animals. With respect to vesicle types, single and clustered varicosities showed a differential effect. For both the population of electron-lucent and electron-dense vesicles, single varicosities showed equal numbers in white- and black-adapted animals, but clustered varicosities showed higher numbers of electron-lucent and electron-dense vesicles in black-adapted animals, indicating storage of neurotransmitters. Finally, in varicosities of white-adapted animals the number and size of the active zones and the number of electron-lucent vesicles attached to the active zones, were about twice as high as in black-adapted animals, indicating a stronger GABA release. It is concluded that the profound effects of environmental light conditions on synaptic structure and substructure in the Xenopus pars intermedia are related to a changed release activity of neurotransmitters inhibiting the activity of the melanotrope cells.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Exponential processes in human auditory excitation and adaptation.

Peripheral auditory adaptation has been studied extensively in animal models, and multiple exponential components have been identified. This study explores the feasibility of estimating these component processes for human listeners with a peripheral model of adaptation. The processes were estimated from off-frequency masked detection data that probed temporal masking responses to a gated narrowband masker. The resulting response patterns reflected step-like onset and offset features with characteristically little evidence of confounding backward and forward masking. The model was implemented with linear combinations of exponential functions to represent the unadapted excitation response to gating the masker on and then off and the opposing effects of adaptation in each instance. The onset and offset of the temporal masking response were assumed to be approximately inverse operations and were modeled independently in this scheme. The unadapted excitation response at masker onset and the reversed excitation response at masker offset were each represented in the model by a single exponential function. The adaptation processes were modeled by three independent exponential functions, which were reversed at masker offset. Each adaptation component was subtractive and partially negated the unadapted excitation response to the dynamic masker. This scheme allowed for quantification of the response amplitude, action latency, and time constant for the unadapted excitation component and for each adaptation component. The results reveal that (1) the amplitudes of the unadapted excitation and reversed excitation components grow nonlinearly with masker level and mirror the 'compressive' input-output velocity response of the basilar membrane; (2) the time constants for the unadapted excitation and reversed excitation components are related inversely to masker intensity, which is compatible with neural synchrony increasing at masker onset (or offset) with increasing masker strength; (3) the composite strength of adaptation levels off at high masker levels; this 'saturation' response is consistent with a diminished contribution from peripheral neural adaptation processes at high sound levels; and (4) the response dynamics for two of the adaptation components correspond generally to those for the 'very rapid'/'rapid' processes and 'short-term' processes described in animal studies of peripheral neural adaptation. The action latency of a third adaptation component suggests the role of a second-order peripheral or central process. This modeling exercise (1) indicates that multiple adaptation processes, whatever their origins, contribute substantively to the form of the temporal masking response and (2) supports a sum-of-exponentials scheme for estimating properties of the component processes.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Adaptation of visually evoked responses of relay cells in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat following prolonged exposure to drifting gratings.

Adaptation of visual cortical cells' responses is observed following repeated presentation of grating stimuli. Grating adaptation is believed to exist only at the cortical level. The purpose of this study was to see if grating adaptation also occurs in the lateral geniculate nucleus. We studied the responses of 164 relay cells in layer A and A1 of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGNd) to grating stimuli. Normal cats, as well as cats in which visual cortex was ablated, were studied. Adaptation was investigated using repeated presentation of gratings of different contrasts and orientations. The results showed the following: (1) Grating adaptation reduced the responses of 46% of the LGNd cells recorded. The responses normally decreased within 30 s and then stabilized. However, there was heterogeneity in the effects observed. About 38% of the cells studied were not affected by the adapting gratings. Some cells (16%) showed facilitation rather than habituation of their responses to test stimuli. (2) There was no significant difference between X and Y cells in their susceptibility to adaptation. This suggests that grating adaptation is a general property, independent of cell type. (3) The contrast-response curves of 57% of the LGNd cells studied shifted down after exposure to high-contrast adapting gratings. (4) Adapting gratings of the cells' preferred orientation decreased the orientation sensitivity of 56% of the orientation-sensitive cells. Adapting gratings at the nonpreferred orientation did not affect orientation sensitivity. (5) Prolonged grating adaptation also reduced the responses of 49% of the LGNd cells after inactivation of cortical inputs to the LGNd.

Action Potentials↗

Adaptive robotic rehabilitation of locomotion: a clinical study in spinally injured individuals.

STUDY DESIGN: Clinical study on six spinal cord-injured subjects. The performance of two automatic gait-pattern adaptation algorithms for automated treadmill training rehabilitation of locomotion (called DJATA1 and DJATA2) was tested and compared in this study. OBJECTIVES: To test the performance of the two algorithms and to evaluate the corresponding patient satisfaction. We also wanted to evaluate the motivation of the patients to train with a fixed gait pattern versus training where they can influence and change the gait pattern (gait-pattern adaptation). SETTING: Spinal Cord Injury Center Paracare, Balgrist, Zürich, Switzerland. METHODS: The experimental data were collected during six blinded and randomized training trials (comprising three different conditions per algorithm) split into two training sessions per patient. During the experiments, we have recorded the time courses of the six parameters describing the adaptation. Additionally, a special patient questionnaire was developed that allowed us to collect data regarding the quality, perception, speed, and required effort of the adaptation, as well as patients' opinion that addressed their motivation. The achieved adaptation was evaluated based on the time course of adaptation parameters and based on the patient questionnaire. A statistical analysis was made in order to quantify the data and to compare the two algorithms. RESULTS: Significant adaptation of the gait pattern took place. The patients were in most cases able to change the gait pattern to a desired one and have always perceived the adaptation. No statistically significant differences were found between the performances of the two algorithms based on the evaluated data. However, DJATA2 achieved better adaptation scores. All patients preferred treadmill training with gait-pattern adaptation. CONCLUSION: In the future, the patients would like to train with gait-pattern adaptation. Besides the subjective opinion indicating the choice of this training modality, gait-pattern adaptation also might lead to additional improvement of the rehabilitation of locomotion as it increases and promotes active training. SPONSORSHIP: The work was supported by The Swiss Commission for Technology and Innovation (Project No. 4005.1).

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Adaptation of guinea-pig vagal airway afferent neurones to mechanical stimulation.

1. Intracellular and extracellular electrophysiological recording techniques were employed to examine the mechanisms involved in adaptation of guinea-pig airway sensory neurones to suprathreshold mechanical stimulation in vitro. Extracellular recordings performed using an in vitro airway preparation revealed two unambiguously distinct subsets of mechanically sensitive nerve endings in the trachea/bronchus. In one group of fibres, the mechanical stimulus caused a brief burst of action potentials, after which the nerve rapidly adapted. In the other group of fibres, repetitive action potentials were evoked as long as the stimulus was maintained above threshold. 2. The adaptation response strictly correlated with ganglionic origin of the soma. Those fibres derived from the nodose ganglion adapted rapidly, whereas those derived from the jugular ganglion were slowly or non-adapting. 3. Intracellular recordings from airway-identified neurones in isolated intact ganglia revealed that the majority of neurones within either the nodose or jugular ganglion adapted rapidly to prolonged suprathreshold depolarizing current injections. 4. The electrophysiological adaptation of nodose ganglion-derived neurones following prolonged suprathreshold current steps was greatly reduced by 4-aminopyridine. However, 4-aminopyridine did not affect the adaptation of rapidly adapting nodose ganglion-derived nerve endings in response to mechanical stimuli. 5. The data suggest that ganglionic origin dictates adaptive characteristics of guinea-pig tracheal and mainstem bronchial afferent neurones in response to mechanical stimulation. Also, the rapid adaptation of nodose nerve endings in the trachea observed during a mechanical stimulus does not appear to be related to the adaptation observed at the soma during prolonged suprathreshold depolarizing current injections.

4-Aminopyridine↗

Adaptation of the generator potential in the crayfish stretch receptors under constant length and constant tension.

1. Generator potentials were investigated in stretch receptors of crayfish after abolishing spike potentials with tetrodotoxin.2. The time courses of the decline of generator potential (generator adaptation) were almost the same in the slowly and rapidly adapting receptors.3. The time courses of the tension changes after suddenly stretching the receptor muscles did not differ much between the two receptor types.4. The amplitudes of generator potential per unit stress or per unit strain in the receptor muscle were roughly the same in the two receptor types.5. By comparing generator adaptation under length-clamp and tension-clamp in the slowly adapting receptors, it was suggested that roughly 70% of the generator adaptation could be explained by a simple visco-elastic property of the receptor muscle, when observed for 1 sec after the beginning of the stretch.6. It was concluded that the marked differences in the receptor adaptation between the two receptor types were attributable to the differences in the properties of spike generating membrane rather than to the properties of the generator potentials.7. In each type of receptor, both the generator adaptation and the adaptation of spike generating mechanisms contributed to determining the whole rates of receptor adaptation. In the slowly adapting receptor, however, the generator adaptation seemed more important, while in the rapidly adapting receptor the spike generating mechanisms seemed more important.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Dark-adaptation in frog rods: changes in the stimulus-response function.

1. Aspartate-isolated photoresponses of the frog's rods to weak and strong flashes have been recorded during dark-adaptation after bleaching a fraction of rhodopsin (generally 4--30%). Stimulus--response functions were measured before the bleach and in the steady state after dark-adaptation. 2. The movements of the operating curve, i.e. the stimulus--response function plotted in a log-log diagram, are interpreted in terms of a model of outer segment adaptation, where the adaptation processes are associated with the transmitter release (Q-adaptation), the number of active sodium channels and leakage channels in the plasma membrane of the outer segment (M-adaptation), and the transmitter background (c1-adaptation). 3. A small bleach in a fully dark-adapted, non-bleached retina brings about a displacement of the operating curve predominantly to the right. The shift back to the left is approximately exponential, typical time constants being 6--12 min. 4. A strong exposure (bleaching 15--30% of rhodopsin) in a previously partially bleached retina brings about a nearly vertical displacement of the operating curve: after the bleach the maximum photoresponse is strongly reduced, and during intermediate adaptation the operating curve returns mainly upwards. 5. Cumulatively increasing permanent displacements of the operating curve are observed in the steady states after successive dark-adaptation transients. The permanent displacements are predominantly to the right and they increase with increasing temperature. 6. The experimental results, as interpreted according to the model, indicate that the Q-adaptation process is dominant in physiological conditions (small or moderate bleaches), whereas the M-adaptation becomes important only after rather large bleaches and especially after several successive bleaches in an isolated retina.

Animals↗

Prism adaptation during walking generalizes to reaching and requires the cerebellum.

Adaptation of arm movements to laterally displacing prism glasses is usually highly specific to body part and movement type and is known to require the cerebellum. Here, we show that prism adaptation of walking trajectory generalizes to reaching (a different behavior involving a different body part) and that this adaptation requires the cerebellum. In experiment 1, healthy control subjects adapted to prisms during either reaching or walking and were tested for generalization to the other movement type. We recorded lateral deviations in finger endpoint position and walking direction to measure negative aftereffects and generalization. Results showed that generalization of prism adaptation is asymmetric: walking generalizes extensively to reaching, but reaching does not generalize to walking. In experiment 2, we compared the performance of cerebellar subjects versus healthy controls during the prism walking adaptation. We measured rates of adaptation, aftereffects, and generalization. Cerebellar subjects had reduced adaptation magnitudes, slowed adaptation rates, decreased negative aftereffects, and poor generalization. Based on these experiments, we propose that prism adaptation during whole body movements through space invokes a more general system for visuomotor remapping, involving recalibration of higher-order, effector-independent brain regions. In contrast, prism adaptation during isolated movements of the limbs is probably recalibrated by effector-specific mechanisms. The cerebellum is an essential component in the network for both types of prism adaptation.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Differences in mechano-transducer channel kinetics underlie tonotopic distribution of fast adaptation in auditory hair cells.

The first step in audition is a deflection of the sensory hair bundle that opens mechanically gated channels, depolarizing the sensory hair cells. Two mechanism of adaptation of mechano-electric transducer (MET) channels have been identified in turtle auditory hair cells. The rate of fast adaptation varies tonotopically and is postulated to underlie a mechanical tuning mechanism in turtle auditory hair cells. Fast adaptation is driven by a calcium-dependent feedback process associated with MET channels. The purpose of this paper is to test the hypothesis that fast adaptation contributes to MET channel kinetics and that variations in channel kinetics underlie the tonotopic distribution of fast adaptation. To test for kinetic differences, the open channel blocker dihydrostreptomycin (DHS) was used. DHS blocked MET currents from low-frequency cells (IC(50) = 14 +/- 2 microM) more effectively than high-frequency cells (IC(50) = 75 +/- 5 microM), suggesting differences in MET channel properties. DHS block showed similar calcium sensitivities at both papilla locations. No difference in calcium permeation or block of the transducer channels was observed, indicating that the DHS effect was not due to differences in the channel pore. Slowing adaptation increased DHS efficacy, and speeding adaptation decreased DHS efficacy, suggesting that adaptation was influencing DHS block. DHS block of MET channels slowed adaptation, most likely by reducing the peak intraciliary calcium concentration achieved, supporting the hypothesis that the rate of adaptation varies with the calcium load per stereocilia. Another channel blocker, amiloride showed similar efficacy for high- and low-frequency cells with an IC(50) of 24.2 +/- 0.5 microM and a Hill coefficient of 2 but appeared to block high-frequency channels faster than low-frequency channels. To further explore MET channel differences between papilla locations, stationary noise analysis was performed. Spectral analysis of the noise gave half power frequencies of 1,185 +/- 148 Hz (n = 6) and 551 +/- 145 Hz (n = 5) for high- and low-frequency cells in 2.8 mM external calcium. The half power frequency showed similar calcium sensitivity to that of adaptation shifting to 768 +/- 205 Hz (n = 4) and 289 +/- 63 Hz (n = 4) for high- and low-frequency cells in 0.25 mM external calcium. Both the pharmacological data and the noise analysis data are consistent with the hypothesis that the tonotopic distribution of fast adaptation is in part due to differences in MET channel kinetics. An increase in the number of MET channels per stereocilia (termed summation) and or intrinsic differences in MET channel kinetics may be the underlying mechanism involved in establishing the gradient.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Constraints on the source of short-term motion adaptation in macaque area MT. I. the role of input and intrinsic mechanisms.

Neurons in area MT, a motion-sensitive area of extrastriate cortex, respond to a step of target velocity with a transient-sustained firing pattern. The transition from a high initial firing rate to a lower sustained rate occurs over a time course of 20-80 ms and is considered a form of short-term adaptation. The present paper asks whether adaptation is due to input-specific mechanisms such as short-term synaptic depression or if it results from intrinsic cellular mechanisms such as spike-rate adaptation. We assessed the contribution of input-specific mechanisms by using a condition/test paradigm to measure the spatial scale of adaptation. Conditioning and test stimuli were placed within MT receptive fields but were spatially segregated so that the two stimuli would activate different populations of inputs from the primary visual cortex (V1). Conditioning motion at one visual location caused a reduction of the transient firing to subsequent test motion at a second location. The adaptation field, estimated as the region of visual space where conditioning motion caused adaptation, was always larger than the MT receptive field. Use of the same stimulus configuration while recording from direction-selective neurons in V1 failed to demonstrate either adaptation or the transient-sustained response pattern that is the signature of short-term adaptation in MT. We conclude that the shift from transient to sustained firing in MT cells does not result from an input-specific mechanism applied to inputs from V1 because it operates over a wider range of the visual field than is covered by receptive fields of V1 neurons. We used a direct analysis of MT neuron spike trains for many repetitions of the same motion stimulus to assess the contribution to adaptation of intrinsic cellular mechanisms related to spiking. On a trial-by-trial basis, there was no correlation between number of spikes in the transient interval and the interval immediately after the transient period. This is opposite the prediction that there should be a correlation if spikes cause adaptation directly. Further, the transient was suppressed or extinguished, not delayed, in trials in which the neuron emitted zero spikes during the interval that showed a transient in average firing rate. We conclude that the transition from transient to sustained firing in neurons in area MT is caused by mechanisms that are neither input-specific nor controlled by the spiking of the adapting neuron. We propose that the short-term adaptation observed in area MT emerges from the intracortical circuit within MT.

Action Potentials↗

Relationship between contrast adaptation and orientation tuning in V1 and V2 of cat visual cortex.

Previous studies investigating the response properties of neurons in the primary visual cortex of cats and primates have shown that prolonged exposure to optimally oriented, high-contrast gratings leads to a reduction in responsiveness to subsequently presented test stimuli. We recorded from 119 neurons in cat V1 and V2 and found that in a high proportion of cells contrast adaptation also occurs for gratings oriented orthogonal to a neuron's preferred orientation, even though this stimulus did not elicit significant increases in spiking activity. Approximately 20% of neurons adapted equally to all orientations tested and a further 46% showed at least some adaptation to orthogonally oriented gratings, whereas 20% of neurons did not adapt to orthogonal gratings. The magnitude of contrast adaptation was positively correlated with adapting contrast, but was not related to the spiking activity of the cells. Highly direction selective neurons produced stronger adaptation to orthogonally oriented gratings than other neurons. Orientation-related adaptation was correlated with the rate of change of orientation tuning in consecutive cells along electrode penetrations that traveled parallel to the cortical layers. Nonoriented adaptation was most common in areas where orientation preference changed rapidly, whereas orientation-selective adaptation was most common in areas where orientation preference changed slowly. A minority of neurons did not show contrast adaptation (14%). No major differences were found between units in different cortical layers, V1 and V2, or between complex and simple cells. The relevance of these findings to the current understanding of adaptation within the context of orientation column architecture is discussed.

Action Potentials↗

Distinct short-term and long-term adaptation to reduce saccade size in monkey.

In monkeys, saccades that repeatedly overshoot their targets adapt to become smaller by the time the monkey has made 1,000-2,000 saccades. In life, adaptation must keep movements accurate for long periods of time. Previous work describes only saccade adaptation that occurs within a few hours. Here we describe long-term saccade adaptation elicited in three monkeys by 19 days of training. Each day a monkey made saccades to track 16 degrees leftward and rightward target movements. During saccades, the target stepped back toward its starting position 6.4 degrees (40%) in two monkeys or 8 degrees (50%) in the third. After each day's adaptation, we blindfolded the monkey with goggles and returned it to its cage overnight. We found that adapting saccades for 19 days elicited significantly larger, long-lasting reduction in saccade size than did adapting for only 1 day. Further, after 19 days of adaptation we could elicit additional, apparently normal, short-term reduction in saccade size by increasing the size of the intra-saccade target movement. In contrast, we could elicit only small additional size reduction after only 1 day of adaptation. A simple model using separate short- and long-term adaptation mechanisms can reproduce many of the features of saccade gain exhibited by monkeys during a 19-day adaptation. We conclude that there is a long-term saccade-adaptation mechanism that is distinct from the well-characterized short-term system and that this newly recognized system is responsible for long-term maintenance of saccade accuracy.

Acclimatization↗