Ontogenetic development of retinotopy and of ocular dominance columns

A mathematical model of the activity-dependent self-organizing mechanism is given for the unified description of the ontogenetic formation of ocularity domains and of the retinotopy. The model is also capable of describing the plasticity of ocular dominance columns. According to the model the connections between cells are not preprogrammed genetically; only a certain algorithm is given to select favorable connections. In accordance with K.D. Miller et al. (1989), the role of activities is emphasized. The model of Miller et al. is based on four biological features which are also explicitly incorporated into the authors´ models, with a different technical realization. While Miller et al. set up a differential equation, the authors´ model is described as a multistage algorithm. Another main difference is that the authors use a two-level neurodynamic model taking explicitly into consideration even the single neuron activity dynamics