Orientation Constancy in Neurons of Monkey Visual Cortex

We studied the effect of body tilt on the orientation selectivity of single neurons in the visual cortex of an alert monkey. The monkey performed a visual fixation task either in the upright position or with its whole body tilted about the naso-occipital (roll) axis by ±25° or ±30°. We determined the preferred stimulus orientation for 51 of 117 neurons in two or, if possible, three body positions (i.e. with the whole body upright, and tilted either left ear or right ear down). In striate cortex, most of the neurons were of a non-compensatory type, showing a change in the preferred orientation according to the body tilt and the estimated counterrolling of the eye. By contrast, about 40% of the neurons in prestriate cortex were of a compensatory type, preferring similar orientations in all body positions. This suggests that mechanisms which produce orientation constancy with respect to the direction of gravity are implemented at an early stage of cortical processing.