How is a classical receptive field mapped with stimuli presented at different locations?

The classical receptive field is mapped by presenting discrete stimuli at various locations within the sensory periphery, such as across the retina or the skin. By systematically testing these different locations, researchers identify the specific region where a stimulus elicits a change in the neuron's action potential (or "spike") discharge rate relative to its background activity.1

This mapping process reveals the spatial structure of the neuron's response, including both excitatory and inhibitory subregions. For instance, in many visual and somatosensory systems, this method identifies centre-surround antagonism, where stimuli in the central region produce an activating response while stimuli in the surrounding region produce an inhibitory response. By definition, the classical receptive field is limited to this specific area; stimuli presented outside of these boundaries do not independently alter the neuron's spiking activity.1

To characterize these fields, scientists may use techniques such as peristimulus time response planes or spike-triggered averaging, which correlate the timing and location of stimuli with the neuron's electrical output to determine how the receptive field's spatial structure evolves over time.1