VISUAL ADAPTATION AND RETINAL GAIN CONTROLS 315

s p o t w a s e n l a r g e d t o c o v e r t h e s u r r o u n d , as s h o w n to include the surround was smaller than the

i n Fig. 4 0 ( a ) f r o m u n p u b l i s h e d r e s u l t s o f L e n n i e , fractional loss of gain when a stimulus spot was
Hertz and Enroth-Cugell. The fractional recovery e n l a r g e d t o i n c l u d e t h e s u r r o u n d as is i n d i c a t e d i n
of center gain when the background was enlarged Fig. 40(b). This could be because the surround

A "(a ) (b)
T 0
0
I

7 9 On-centre Y 10 On-centre Y
N

E 0
c
0 g °
~ 0
8 0 ~ ~,~. 9 0
0

O o 0
O 00000 O
0 0
OO o
O 8
I J I J llllJl I J i ili;l I I O•I I 1 J llJlll t I J IllliJ :
0.1 1.0 10 1-0 10
Test diameter (deg) Background diameter (deg)
FIG. 39. Signal and adaptive summation in a Y ganglion cell in the photopic range: no effect of surround on adaptive
summation.
(a) The photopic center's size was determined as in Figs 30 and 32, by obtaining threshold illumination for a constant
response, as a function of area. This was done with red spots (modulated at 4 Hz) on a steady b l u e - green background
which had a retinal illumination of 8.108 quanta(507 nm) (deg ~ s)-1.
(b) The size of the "adaptation pool" of the center was determined with an a r e a - a d a p t a t i o n curve as in Fig. 32(b).
A fixed 0.2 deg diameter stimulus was set to be at threshold on a 15 deg background. The background was reduced in
area, in discrete steps, and the illumination of the background was adjusted to keep the response to the central test spot
at criterion. The required illumination of the background is plotted against its diameter. From Enroth-Cugell et al. (1977a).
ON-CENTER X
(b)
-(a) o
I00 B O ~.
~, • o
-o

o
o
• O 0
p 9.0 o o 70
• • O o

• • • g

o
BO 60 §

S
I I I I/ll I I I I
0.1 0.5 1.0 ,5.0 IO0 O1 0.5 1.0 5.0 I0.0

BACKGROUND DIAMETER (deg) TEST DIAMETER (deQ)

FIG. 40. Signal and adaptive summation in an individual X ganglion cell in the photopic range.
(a) The left panel shows the background illumination required to keep a 0.2 deg diameter red test stimulus (modulated
at 4 hz) at auditory threshold for modulation, as the (blue-green) background diameter was varied from 0.2 to 10 deg.
(b) The right panel shows the test illumination required for a 4 Hz modulated, red, 0.2 deg diameter, spot to produce
a threshold response, on a b l u e - green 15 deg background of retinal illumination 8-10 a quanta(507 nm) (deg2 s)-'. From
Lennie, Hertz and Enroth-Cugell, unpublished results.