Single Units and Sensation: A Neuron Doctrine for Perceptual Psychology?

The problem discussed is the relationship between the firing of single neurons in sensory pathways and subjectively experienced sensations. The conclusions are formulated as the following five dogmas: To understand nervous function one needs to look at interactions at a cellular level, rather than either a more macroscopic or microscopic level, because behaviour depends upon the organized pattern of these intercellular interactions. The sensory system is organized to achieve as complete a representation of the sensory stimulus as possible with the minimum number of active neurons. Trigger features of sensory neurons are matched to redundant patterns of stimulation by experience as well as by developmental processes. Perception corresponds to the activity of a small selection from the very numerous high-level neurons, each of which corresponds to a pattern of external events of the order of complexity of the events symbolized by a word. High impulse frequency in such neurons corresponds to high certainty that the trigger feature is present. The development of the concepts leading up to these speculative dogmas, their experimental basis, and some of their limitations are discussed.

[1]  George Boole,et al.  An Investigation of the Laws of Thought: Frontmatter , 2009 .

[2]  Ernst Mach,et al.  The analysis of sensations and the relation of the physical to the psychical , 1914, The Mathematical Gazette.

[3]  E. Adrian,et al.  The impulses produced by sensory nerve endings , 1926, The Journal of physiology.

[4]  E. Adrian,et al.  The impulses produced by sensory nerve endings , 1926, The Journal of physiology.

[5]  E D Adrian The impulses produced by sensory nerve‐endings , 1926, The Journal of physiology.

[6]  E. D. Adrian,et al.  The Basis of Sensation , 1928, The Indian Medical Gazette.

[7]  K. Lashley Brain Mechanisms and Intelligence: A Quantitative Study of Injuries to the Brain , 1965 .

[8]  Samuel W. Fernberger,et al.  Brain Mechanisms and Intelligence: A Quantitative Study of Injuries to the Brain. , 1931 .

[9]  H. K. Hartline,et al.  THE RESPONSE OF SINGLE OPTIC NERVE FIBERS OF THE VERTEBRATE EYE TO ILLUMINATION OF THE RETINA , 1938 .

[10]  H. K. Hartline,et al.  THE EFFECTS OF SPATIAL SUMMATION IN THE RETINA ON THE EXCITATION OF THE FIBERS OF THE OPTIC NERVE , 1940 .

[11]  C. Sherrington Man On His Nature , 1940 .

[12]  H. K. Hartline,et al.  THE RECEPTIVE FIELDS OF OPTIC NERVE FIBERS , 1940 .

[13]  E. Adrian Afferent discharges to the cerebral cortex from peripheral sense organs , 1941, The Journal of physiology.

[14]  C. Pfaffmann Gustatory afferent impulses , 1941 .

[15]  C. Woolsey,et al.  OBSERVATIONS ON CORTICAL SOMATIC SENSORY MECHANISMS OF CAT AND MONKEY , 1941 .

[16]  E. Boring Sensation and Perception. (Scientific Books: Sensation and Perception in the History of Experimental Psychology) , 1943 .

[17]  S. Hecht,et al.  ENERGY, QUANTA, AND VISION , 1942, The Journal of general physiology.

[18]  R. Galamboš,et al.  THE RESPONSE OF SINGLE AUDITORY-NERVE FIBERS TO ACOUSTIC STIMULATION , 1943 .

[19]  K. J. Craik,et al.  The nature of explanation , 1944 .

[20]  R. Galamboš INHIBITION OF ACTIVITY IN SINGLE AUDITORY NERVE FIBERS BY ACOUSTIC STIMULATION , 1944 .

[21]  E. Boring Sensation and Perception. (Scientific Books: Sensation and Perception in the History of Experimental Psychology) , 1943 .

[22]  E. Adrian,et al.  The physical background of perception , 1947 .

[23]  G. Fry Mechanisms subserving simultaneous brightness contrast. , 1948, American journal of optometry and archives of American Academy of Optometry.

[24]  C. E. SHANNON,et al.  A mathematical theory of communication , 1948, MOCO.

[25]  R. Galamboš,et al.  Action Potentials From Single Auditory-Nerve Fibers? , 1948, Science.

[26]  B. Matthews,et al.  Sensory Mechanisms of the Retina , 1949, Nature.

[27]  H. Barlow Summation and inhibition in the frog's retina , 1953, The Journal of physiology.

[28]  S. W. Kuffler Discharge patterns and functional organization of mammalian retina. , 1953, Journal of neurophysiology.

[29]  Philip M. Woodward,et al.  Probability and Information Theory with Applications to Radar , 1954 .

[30]  J. Swets,et al.  A decision-making theory of visual detection. , 1954, Psychological review.

[31]  C. Pfaffmann,et al.  Gustatory nerve impulses in rat, cat and rabbit. , 1955, Journal of neurophysiology.

[32]  H. Barlow Retinal noise and absolute threshold. , 1956, Journal of the Optical Society of America.

[33]  H. Barlow,et al.  Change of organization in the receptive fields of the cat's retina during dark adaptation , 1957, The Journal of physiology.

[34]  E. MacNichol,et al.  RETINAL MECHANISMS FOR CHROMATIC AND ACHROMATIC VISION , 1958, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

[35]  D. Hubel,et al.  Receptive fields of single neurones in the cat's striate cortex , 1959, The Journal of physiology.

[36]  W. Pitts,et al.  What the Frog's Eye Tells the Frog's Brain , 1959, Proceedings of the IRE.

[37]  W. Pitts,et al.  Anatomy and Physiology of Vision in the Frog (Rana pipiens) , 1960, The Journal of general physiology.

[38]  R. D. de Valois,et al.  Color Vision Mechanisms in the Monkey , 1960, The Journal of general physiology.

[39]  E. F. MacNichol,et al.  The Response Properties of Single Ganglion Cells in the Goldfish Retina , 1960, The Journal of general physiology.

[40]  R. L. Valois Color Vision Mechanisms in the Monkey , 1960 .

[41]  Leo M. Hurvich,et al.  Perceived Color, Induction Effects, and Opponent-Response Mechanisms , 1960, The Journal of general physiology.

[42]  D. Hubel,et al.  Receptive fields, binocular interaction and functional architecture in the cat's visual cortex , 1962, The Journal of physiology.

[43]  D. Hubel,et al.  RECEPTIVE FIELDS OF CELLS IN STRIATE CORTEX OF VERY YOUNG, VISUALLY INEXPERIENCED KITTENS. , 1963, Journal of neurophysiology.

[44]  H. Barlow,et al.  Inter-ocular Transfer of Movement After-effects during Pressure Blinding of the Stimulated Eye , 1963, Nature.

[45]  H. Barlow,et al.  Evidence for a Physiological Explanation of the Waterfall Phenomenon and Figural After-effects , 1963, Nature.

[46]  D. Hubel,et al.  SINGLE-CELL RESPONSES IN STRIATE CORTEX OF KITTENS DEPRIVED OF VISION IN ONE EYE. , 1963, Journal of neurophysiology.

[47]  H. Barlow,et al.  Retinal ganglion cells responding selectively to direction and speed of image motion in the rabbit , 1964, The Journal of physiology.

[48]  D. Hubel,et al.  Binocular interaction in striate cortex of kittens reared with artificial squint. , 1965, Journal of neurophysiology.

[49]  D. G. Green,et al.  Optical and retinal factors affecting visual resolution. , 1965, The Journal of physiology.

[50]  D. Hubel,et al.  Comparison of the effects of unilateral and bilateral eye closure on cortical unit responses in kittens. , 1965, Journal of neurophysiology.

[51]  R. L. Valois,et al.  Analysis of response patterns of LGN cells. , 1966, Journal of the Optical Society of America.

[52]  C. Enroth-Cugell,et al.  The contrast sensitivity of retinal ganglion cells of the cat , 1966, The Journal of physiology.

[53]  D. M. Green,et al.  Signal detection theory and psychophysics , 1966 .

[54]  C. Blakemore,et al.  The neural mechanism of binocular depth discrimination , 1967, The Journal of physiology.

[55]  W. Levick Receptive fields and trigger features of ganglion cells in the visual streak of the rabbit's retina , 1967, The Journal of physiology.

[56]  A. L. I︠A︡rbus Eye Movements and Vision , 1967 .

[57]  A. L. Yarbus,et al.  Eye Movements and Vision , 1967, Springer US.

[58]  I Abramov,et al.  Single cell analysis of wavelength discrimination at the lateral geniculate nucleus in the macaque. , 1967, Journal of neurophysiology.

[59]  D. Ingle Visual Releasers of Prey-Catching Behavior in Frogs and Toads , 1968 .

[60]  Benedict Delisle Burns,et al.  The uncertain nervous system , 1968 .

[61]  V. Mountcastle,et al.  The sense of flutter-vibration: comparison of the human capacity with response patterns of mechanoreceptive afferents from the monkey hand. , 1968, Journal of neurophysiology.

[62]  C Blakemore,et al.  On the existence of neurones in the human visual system selectively sensitive to the orientation and size of retinal images , 1969, The Journal of physiology.

[63]  H. Barlow Trigger Features, Adaptation and Economy of Impulses , 1969 .

[64]  H B Barlow,et al.  PATTERN RECOGNITION AND THE RESPONSES OF SENSORY NEURONS * , 1969, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

[65]  D. Hubel,et al.  The period of susceptibility to the physiological effects of unilateral eye closure in kittens , 1970, The Journal of physiology.

[66]  J. Ganchrow,et al.  Neural correlates of gustatory intensity and quality. , 1970, Journal of neurophysiology.

[67]  J. Ewert Neural mechanisms of prey-catching and avoidance behavior in the toad (Bufo bufo L.). , 1970, Brain, behavior and evolution.

[68]  D. N. Spinelli,et al.  Visual Experience Modifies Distribution of Horizontally and Vertically Oriented Receptive Fields in Cats , 1970, Science.

[69]  G. F. Cooper,et al.  Development of the Brain depends on the Visual Environment , 1970, Nature.

[70]  W. E. Kock,et al.  Holography , 1971, Science.

[71]  H. Barlow,et al.  Lack of specificity of neurones in the visual cortex of young kittens. , 1971, The Journal of physiology.

[72]  R. Shlaer,et al.  Shift in Binocular Disparity Causes Compensatory Change in the Cortical Structure of Kittens , 1971, Science.

[73]  D. Ingle Prey-catching behavior of anurans toward moving and stationary objects. , 1971, Vision research.

[74]  H. Barlow,et al.  Responses to single quanta of light in retinal ganglion cells of the cat. , 1971, Vision research.

[75]  B. Sakitt Counting every quantum , 1972, The Journal of physiology.

[76]  D. B. Bender,et al.  Visual properties of neurons in inferotemporal cortex of the Macaque. , 1972, Journal of neurophysiology.

[77]  J. Stone Morphology and physiology of the geniculocortical synapse in the cat: the question of parallel input to the striate cortex. , 1972, Investigative ophthalmology.

[78]  Cragg Bg The development of synapses in cat visual cortex. , 1972 .

[79]  B. Cragg The development of synapses in cat visual cortex. , 1972, Investigative ophthalmology.

[80]  J. Pettigrew,et al.  Visual Experience without Lines: Effect on Developing Cortical Neurons , 1973, Science.

[81]  C. Blakemore,et al.  Environmental Modification of the Visual Cortex and the Neural Basis of Learning and Memory , 1973, Nature.

[82]  J. Pettigrew,et al.  The effect of visual experience on the development of stimulus specificity by kitten cortical neurones , 1974, The Journal of physiology.

[83]  Geoffrey Hunter What Computers Can't Do , 1988, Philosophy.

[84]  D. N. Spinelli,et al.  Modification of the distribution of receptive field orientation in cats by selective visual exposure during development , 1971, Experimental Brain Research.

[85]  H. K. HAltTLIn THE RESPONSE OF SINGLE OPTIC NERVE FIBERS OF THE VERTEBRATE EYE TO ILLUMINATION OF THE RETINA , 2004 .

[86]  P. O. Bishop,et al.  Binocular interaction on single units in cat striate cortex: Simultaneous stimulation by single moving slit with receptive fields in correspondence , 2004, Experimental Brain Research.

[87]  O. Grüsser,et al.  Neurophysiologische Grundlagen visueller angeborener Auslösemechanismen beim Frosch , 1968, Zeitschrift für vergleichende Physiologie.

[88]  E. Adrian,et al.  The impulses produced by sensory nerve-endings: Part II. The response of a Single End-Organ. , 2006, The Journal of physiology.

[89]  Sang Joon Kim,et al.  A Mathematical Theory of Communication , 2006 .

[90]  L. Peichl Retinal ganglion cells , 2009 .