Stochastic resonance improves vision in the severely impaired

We verified whether a stochastic resonance paradigm (SR), with random interference (“noise”) added in optimal amounts, improves the detection of sub-threshold visual information by subjects with retinal disorder and impaired vision as it does in the normally sighted. Six levels of dynamic, zero-mean Gaussian noise were added to each pixel of images (13 contrast levels) in which alphabet characters were displayed against a uniform gray background. Images were presented with contrast below the subjective threshold to 14 visually impaired subjects (age: 22–53 yrs.). The fraction of recognized letters varied between 0 and 0.3 at baseline and increased in all subjects when noise was added in optimal amounts; peak recognition ranged between 0.2 and 0.8 at noise sigmas between 6 and 30 grey scale values (GSV) and decreased in all subjects at noise levels with sigma above 30 GSV. The results replicate in the visually impaired the facilitation of visual information processing with images presented in SR paradigms that has been documented in sighted subjects. The effect was obtained with low-level image manipulation and application appears readily possible: it would enhance the efficiency of today vision-improving aids and help in the development of the visual prostheses hopefully available in the future.

[1]  Denis G. Pelli,et al.  THE DESIGN OF A NEW LETTER CHART FOR MEASURING CONTRAST SENSITIVITY , 1988 .

[2]  James D. Weiland,et al.  Argus® II Retinal Prosthesis System , 2017 .

[3]  Lawrence M. Ward,et al.  Dynamical Cognitive Science , 2001 .

[4]  P. Sinha,et al.  Parsing visual scenes via dynamic cues , 2010 .

[5]  L. Parkkonen,et al.  Modulation of brain and behavioural responses to cognitive visual stimuli with varying signal-to-noise ratios , 2006, Clinical Neurophysiology.

[6]  N. Kanwisher,et al.  The lateral occipital complex and its role in object recognition , 2001, Vision Research.

[7]  Nan Wang,et al.  Object extraction from underwater images through logical stochastic resonance. , 2016, Optics letters.

[8]  Y. Luo,et al.  A review and update on the current status of retinal prostheses (bionic eye). , 2014, British medical bulletin.

[9]  G. Falk,et al.  Potentiation of ‘on’ bipolar cell flash responses by dim background light and cGMP in dogfish retinal slices , 2002, The Journal of physiology.

[10]  Gregoire Nicolis,et al.  Stochastic resonance , 2007, Scholarpedia.

[11]  Christof Koch,et al.  The role of single neurons in information processing , 2000, Nature Neuroscience.

[12]  Yee-Joon Kim,et al.  Stochastic resonance in binocular rivalry , 2006, Vision Research.

[13]  Yael Hanein,et al.  Novel interfaces for light directed neuronal stimulation: advances and challenges , 2014, International journal of nanomedicine.

[14]  M Stemmler,et al.  Lateral interactions in primary visual cortex: a model bridging physiology and psychophysics. , 1995, Science.

[15]  Kurt Wiesenfeld,et al.  Stochastic resonance and the benefits of noise: from ice ages to crayfish and SQUIDs , 1995, Nature.

[16]  Nicole Wenderoth,et al.  Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation of Visual Cortex: Stochastic Resonance Enhances Central Mechanisms of Perception , 2016, The Journal of Neuroscience.

[17]  Mark D. McDonnell,et al.  The benefits of noise in neural systems: bridging theory and experiment , 2011, Nature Reviews Neuroscience.

[18]  Krista I Kinard,et al.  Neural reprogramming in retinal degeneration. , 2007, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[19]  Alexander B. Neiman,et al.  Stochastic resonance in psychophysics and in animal behavior , 2002, Biological Cybernetics.

[20]  Lawrence M. Ward,et al.  Stochastic Resonance Modulates Neural Synchronization within and between Cortical Sources , 2010, PloS one.

[21]  Eero P. Simoncelli,et al.  Computational models of cortical visual processing. , 1996, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[22]  A. Bulsara,et al.  Stochastic resonance in a single neuron model: theory and analog simulation. , 1991, Journal of theoretical biology.

[23]  Enrico Simonotto,et al.  fMRI studies of visual cortical activity during noise stimulation , 1999, Neurocomputing.

[24]  A. Milam,et al.  Preservation of the inner retina in retinitis pigmentosa. A morphometric analysis. , 1997, Archives of ophthalmology.

[25]  S. Stasheff,et al.  Emergence of sustained spontaneous hyperactivity and temporary preservation of OFF responses in ganglion cells of the retinal degeneration (rd1) mouse. , 2008, Journal of neurophysiology.

[26]  W. Sannita,et al.  Miscoded Visual Processing in Degenerative Retinal Disorder , 2014 .

[27]  N G Stocks,et al.  Generic noise-enhanced coding in neuronal arrays. , 2001, Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics.

[28]  E. Zrenner,et al.  Electronic Approaches to Restitute Vision in Patients with Neurodegenerative Diseases of the Retina , 2013, Ophthalmic Research.

[29]  Ervin Sejdic,et al.  Necessity of noise in physiology and medicine , 2013, Comput. Methods Programs Biomed..

[30]  Keiichi Kitajo,et al.  Internal noise determines external stochastic resonance in visual perception , 2008, Vision Research.

[31]  G Moraglia,et al.  Noise-Limited Detection in Young and Old Observers , 1997, Perceptual and motor skills.

[32]  Geraint Rees,et al.  Stochastic Resonance Effects Reveal the Neural Mechanisms of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation , 2011, The Journal of Neuroscience.

[33]  Thomas Euler,et al.  Functional Stability of Retinal Ganglion Cells after Degeneration-Induced Changes in Synaptic Input , 2008, The Journal of Neuroscience.

[34]  E. Manjarrez,et al.  Noise Improves Visual Motion Discrimination via a Stochastic Resonance-Like Phenomenon , 2016, Front. Hum. Neurosci..

[35]  J A Kelso,et al.  Noise improves three-dimensional perception: stochastic resonance and other impacts of noise to the perception of autostereograms. , 2000, Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics.

[36]  L. M. Ward,et al.  Stochastic resonance and sensory information processing: a tutorial and review of application , 2004, Clinical Neurophysiology.

[37]  Lawrence M. Ward,et al.  Noise-induced large-scale phase synchronization of human-brain activity associated with behavioural stochastic resonance , 2007 .

[38]  Stefano Di Marco,et al.  A fully organic retinal prosthesis restores vision in a rat model of degenerative blindness , 2017, Nature materials.

[39]  J. White,et al.  Channel noise in neurons , 2000, Trends in Neurosciences.

[40]  A. Destexhe,et al.  Synaptic background activity enhances the responsiveness of neocortical pyramidal neurons. , 2000, Journal of neurophysiology.

[41]  W. Stacey,et al.  Stochastic resonance improves signal detection in hippocampal CA1 neurons. , 2000, Journal of neurophysiology.

[42]  Guglielmo Lanzani,et al.  Photothermal cellular stimulation in functional bio-polymer interfaces , 2015, Scientific Reports.

[43]  Kenneth H. Norwich,et al.  Information, sensation, and perception , 1993 .

[44]  Yubing Gong,et al.  Non-Gaussian noise optimized spiking activity of Hodgkin-Huxley neurons on random complex networks. , 2009, Biophysical chemistry.

[45]  A. Alonso,et al.  Noise from voltage-gated ion channels may influence neuronal dynamics in the entorhinal cortex. , 1998, Journal of neurophysiology.

[46]  Riani,et al.  Stochastic resonance in the perceptual interpretation of ambiguous figures: A neural network model. , 1994, Physical review letters.

[47]  Claudio R. Mirasso,et al.  Effects of auditory noise on the psychophysical detection of visual signals: Cross-modal stochastic resonance , 2007, Neuroscience Letters.

[48]  M. Carandini,et al.  Orientation tuning of input conductance, excitation, and inhibition in cat primary visual cortex. , 2000, Journal of neurophysiology.

[49]  K. Linkenkaer-Hansen,et al.  Prestimulus Oscillations Enhance Psychophysical Performance in Humans , 2004, The Journal of Neuroscience.

[50]  Maria V. Sanchez-Vives,et al.  Influence of low and high frequency inputs on spike timing in visual cortical neurons. , 1997, Cerebral cortex.

[51]  Rafael Doti,et al.  Ubiquitous Crossmodal Stochastic Resonance in Humans: Auditory Noise Facilitates Tactile, Visual and Proprioceptive Sensations , 2008, PloS one.

[52]  E. Marder,et al.  Plasticity in single neuron and circuit computations , 2004, Nature.

[53]  R K Powers,et al.  Effects of background noise on the response of rat and cat motoneurones to excitatory current transients. , 1996, The Journal of physiology.

[54]  Massimo Riani,et al.  Role of noise in image processing by the human perceptive system. , 2000 .

[55]  Walter G Sannita,et al.  Neuronal Functional Diversity and Collective Behaviors , 2008, Journal of biological physics.

[56]  Massimo Riani,et al.  Visual Perception of Stochastic Resonance , 1997 .

[57]  Keiichi Kitajo,et al.  Behavioral stochastic resonance within the human brain. , 2003, Physical review letters.

[58]  John H. R. Maunsell,et al.  Functional properties of neurons in middle temporal visual area of the macaque monkey. II. Binocular interactions and sensitivity to binocular disparity. , 1983, Journal of neurophysiology.

[59]  O. Arias-Carrión,et al.  Effect of mechanical tactile noise on amplitude of visual evoked potentials: multisensory stochastic resonance. , 2015, Journal of neurophysiology.

[60]  Guanghua Xu,et al.  Addition of visual noise boosts evoked potential-based brain-computer interface , 2014, Scientific Reports.

[61]  Stephen F. Traynelis,et al.  Getting the most out of noise in the central nervous system , 1998, Trends in Neurosciences.

[62]  Masao Ito,et al.  Neurobiology: Internal model visualized , 2000, Nature.

[63]  Marc Korczykowski,et al.  Canine and Human Visual Cortex Intact and Responsive Despite Early Retinal Blindness from RPE65 Mutation , 2007, PLoS medicine.