Calendar

Lec # Topics
1 Introduction to the Visual System and Organization of the Retina: Anatomy and physiology of the retina, ganglion-cell receptive field organization, pre-ganglionic elements
2

A. The Lateral Geniculate Nucleus: Laminar organization of the LGN, receptive field properties of single cells

B. The Striate Cortex: Striate cortex receptive field organization, cytoarchitecture, modular organization, imaging
3 Extrastriate Areas: Specificity of areas, single-cell receptive field properties, topography, imaging, functional and anatomical connections
4 The ON and OFF Channels and Brightness Perception: The ON and OFF channels and their function in vision
5 The Midget and Parasol Systems: Characteristics, connections and functions of the midget and parasol systems
6

Color Vision and Adaptation: The processing of wavelength information in the visual system, perception at isoluminance

Adaptation phenomena and the neural mechanisms of visual adaptation
7 Eye Movement Control, Subcortical Structures: Codes for the generation of visually guided eye movements, the role of excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms in eye movement generation
8 Eye Movement Control, Cortical Structures: Parallel pathways for the control of visually guided eye movements, functions of cortical areas in eye-movement generation
9

Motion Perception and Smooth-pursuit Eye Movements: Motion processing in cortical and subcortical visual structures

Pursuit eye movements
10 Depth Perception: Depth perception and underlying neural mechanisms
11

Pattern Perception: Pattern perception, underlying neural mechanisms and the significance of topographic organization

Review of the course
12 Visual Illusions: What illusions can convey about how the brain processes visual information and what we know about the brain that can explain some illusions
13 Visual Prosthesis: Assessment of the research on visual prosthesis and discussion of the major tasks involved in making a visual prosthetic feasible