Detection latencies of X and Y type cells of the cat's dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus

The latencies of visually-evoked responses from X- and Y-type neurons of the cat's dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus were measured in a manner that takes account of the inherent variability of discharge in these cells. Latencies measured in this way vary from trial to trial in one cell (and also between cells) by tens to as much as hundreds of milliseconds. This variability in the time for generation of reliable responses suggests that the much emphasized conduction advantage of the Y pathway plays a minor role in the detection of visual stimuli by the cat.