These cells can be categorized by which types of stimuli they are most sensitive to. The two main categories are simple cortical cells and complex cortical cells.

Categorization of cortical cells

- In addition to perceiving objects and events, this area of the visual cortex is necessary for the formation of mental images
- Areas of V1 light up on PET scan when participants imagine mental images, showing activation of those areas
- Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) impairs activation of specific parts of the brain
    - When rTMS is administered to V1, ability to form mental images is greatly impaired

V1 area's role in formation of mental images

- Area V1 sends signals to other parts of the visual cortex
- Areas of the visual cortex outside of V1 have even more complex receptive fields
    - V2, V4, and the inferior temporal area are involved in the perception of form
    - Some V2 cells respond to texture and some respond to imagined contours or edges, such as in optical illusions
    - Some V4 cells respond best to wavelength differences, producing color perception
    - Area V5 responds to the perception of movement
- Macaque monkeys have at least 32 different cortical areas involved in vision, with a similar layout to the human brain

Complex receptive fields of areas outside of V1

- Neurons in the visual cortex require more specific stimulation than neurons of the LGN
- Different groups of neurons here have different receptive fields
- Some respond best to movement, some to lines in a particular orientation, and many others

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

- Sensory stimulus region and features that elicit a neuronal response
- Provides information about the function of a cell
- Neurons at different levels of the visual systems have different receptive fields, and therefore, different functions in vision

Receptive fields of visual system

Breedlove, S. & Watson, N. (2017). Behavioral neuroscience, eighth edition. Oxford University Press.

Behavioral Neuroscience 8th Edition

Neurons in the retina and LGN have receptive fields that consist of a circular central area and a ring around it.

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