Inhibition and spillover can determine dynamic range and sensitivity.

<p>(A) and (B) respectively, show the spike raster plots of a sustained and transient cell in PTX+STR. (C) and (D) respectively, show normalized spike activity of the cells shown in (A) and (B), as a function of light intensity, in PTX+STR and PTX+STR+AP5. (E) and (F) show the average change in intensity span and half maximum in PTX+STR and PTX+STR+AP5 for transient (n = 10) and sustained cells (n = 7), respectively. Both intensity span and half maximum significantly increased in transient cells in the presence of AP5 compared to PTX+STR (span: p < 0.05*; half maximum: p < 0.01*). While, neither parameter changed in sustained cells (span: p = 0.08; half maximum: p = 0.44). (G) and (H) show the average change in intensity span and half maximum in PTX+STR compared to control in sustained and transient cells, respectively. Both intensity span and half maximum were reduced in sustained cells (span: p < 0.05*; half maximum: p < 0.05*). In transient cells, span significantly increased in PTX+STR while half maximum was unaffected (span: p < 0.05*; half maximum: p = 0.9).