Principles of Neural Organization Lecture 2

Electrode, Microelectrode, Micron (1/1000th mm), membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm, Neuron, axon, dendrite, Schwann cell/glial cell, myelin sheath, node of Ranvier, Synapse, synaptic cleft, vesicle, neurotransmitter, receptors, ions, permeability, ion channels, voltage-dependent sodium channels, neural threshold, positive feedback, sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), sodium-potassium pump, electrochemical equilibrium potentials, sodium (Na+) +55mv, potassium (K+) -75mv, resting potential -70mv, polarization/ depolarization/ hyperpolarization, inhibitory post-synaptic potential (IPSP), Excitatory post-synaptic potential (EPSP), integration, axon hillock, action potential (AP), all-or- none, neuron threshold -55mv, saltatory propagation, AP propagation KEYWORDS from Lecture 1

1 -- electrical stimulation (artificial depolarization) 2 -- spatial and temporal integration of EPSPs and IPSPs across the neurone’s membrane resulting in the neuronal threshold being reached. Generator potential 3 -- sensory stimulation (transduction) mechanical (cytoskeleton) chemical (receptors, second messengers) light (hyperpolarization) WHEN DO CELLS PRODUCE ACTION POTENTIALS?

MODALITY labelled lines specific nerve energies INTENSITY proportional to frequency population (recruitment) DURATION rapidly adapting (RA) slowly adapting (SA) LOCATION locate a site distinguish two sites mapping Principles of Neural Coding

Johannes Műller 1826 DOCTRINE OF SPECIFIC NERVE ENERGIES “regardless of how a receptor is stimulated it produces only one kind of sensory experience” MODALITY “vision” “hearing” “touch” “labeled lines”

Intensity of stimulus Response of cell threshold INTENSITY recruitment of additional cells with higher thresholds

DURATION

Introduction to structure of central nervous system...

Cortex

BRAIN STEM PARIETAL FRONTAL INFEROTEMPORAL CEREBELLUM

Somatosensory Cortex

Motor Cortex

Common structure of the senses Receptive fields sense organ -> cortex via THALAMUS heirarchy and parallel systems topographic arrangement

Across pattern coding can code more than one thing at the same time can code ‘similarity’ 2 stimuli coded as two stimuli (if sufficiently different) Good for coding patterns Population coding only codes one thing 2 stimuli --> smaller ignored integration of activity means all neurones involved Good for coding a single parameter such as direction Specificity coding can code more than one thing 2 stimuli always coded as separate each neurone acts alone (therefore vulnerable) Good for coding patterns Channel coding only codes one thing 2 stimuli perceived as 1 (different from either alone - metamer) Good for extracting a single parameter in the presence of other potentially confusing factors.

SUMMARY Properties of neurones, action potentials, synapses Transduction in sensory cells Coding of modality, intensity, duration, location Overview of structure of the brain and some of its maps Common structure of the different senses Coding mechanisms within the senses

Psychophysics section 2

DETECTION THRESHOLDS Section 1method of limits method of constant stimuli method of adjustment Section 2signal detection theory DISCRIMINATION THRESHOLDS Section 3 Weber’s Law Fechner’s Law Steven’s Power Law PSYCHOPHYSICS

Precision high Precision low Accuracy high Accuracy low bias

Method of limits bias of expectation bias of habituation staircase Method of constant stimuli 2AFC; 4AFC Method of adjustment rather variable “quick and dirty”

Figure 1.12 The results of an experiment to determine the threshold using the method of limits. The dashed lines indicate the crossover point for each sequence of stimuli. The threshold - the average of the crossover values - is 98.5 in this experiment. METHOD OF LIMITS

Figure 1.13 Results of a hypothetical experiment in which the threshold for seeing a light is measured by the method of constant stimuli. The threshold - the intensity at which the light is seen on half of its presentations - is 180 in this experiment. METHOD OF CONSTANT STIMULI

SIGNAL DETECTION THEORY response bias sensory noise criterion outcome matrix (hit/miss/false alarm/correct rejection) receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) sensitivity (d’ or d prime)

RESPONSE STIMULUS “present”“absent” present absent CORRECT MISS FALSE ALARM 100%

percentage of false alarms percentage of hits more liberal more conservative

Figure 1.14 The difference threshold (DL). (a) The person can detect the difference between a 100-gram standard weight and a 102-gram weight but cannot detect a smaller difference, so the DL is 2 grams. With a 200-gram standard weight, the comparison weight must be 204 grams before the person can detect the difference, so the DL is 4 grams. The Weber fraction, which is the ratio of DL to the weight of the standard is constant. DIFFERENCE THRESHOLDS

The difference threshold just noticeable difference (jnd) Weber’s law (1834) the just noticeable increment is a constant fraction of the stimulus Weber Fractions Taste0.08 8% Brightness0.088% Loudness0.055% Vibration0.044% Line length0.033% Heaviness0.022% Electric shock0.011% Fechner’s law (1860) sensation magnitude proportional to logarithm (stimulus intensity) assumption: all jnd’s are the same stood for 100 years! Steven’s law (1961) (“To honour Fechner and repeal his law”) sensation magnitude proportional to (stimulus intensity) raised to a power

Consequences of Steven’s Law response compression response expansion linear on a log scale

Response compression Response expansion