Signals and noise in the elasmobranch electrosensory system

1999 ◽  
Vol 202 (10) ◽  
pp. 1349-1355 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.C. Montgomery ◽  
D. Bodznick
Keyword(s):  
Direct Current ◽  
Noise Suppression ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Sensory System ◽  
Mate Recognition ◽  
Common Mode ◽  
Central Processing ◽  
Temporal Properties ◽  
Efferent Neurons ◽  
Bioelectric Fields

Analyzing signal and noise for any sensory system requires an appreciation of the biological and physical milieu of the animal. Behavioral studies show that elasmobranchs use their electrosensory systems extensively for prey detection, but also for mate recognition and possibly for navigation. These biologically important signals are detected against a background of self-generated bioelectric fields. Noise-suppression mechanisms can be recognized at a number of different levels: behavior, receptor anatomy and physiology, and at the early stages of sensory processing. The peripheral filters and receptor characteristics provide a detector with permissive temporal properties but restrictive spatial characteristics. Biologically important signals probably cover the range from direct current to 10 Hz, whereas the bandwidth of the receptors is more like 0.1-10 Hz. This degree of alternating current coupling overcomes significant noise problems while still allowing the animal to detect external direct current signals by its own movement. Self-generated bioelectric fields modulated by breathing movement have similar temporal characteristics to important external signals and produce very strong modulation of electrosensory afferents. This sensory reafference is essentially similar, or common-mode, across all afferent fibers. The principal electrosensory neurons (ascending efferent neurons; AENs) of the dorsal octavolateralis nucleus show a greatly reduced response to common-mode signals. This suppression is mediated by the balanced excitatory and inhibitory components of their spatial receptive fields. The receptive field characteristics of AENs determine the information extracted from external stimuli for further central processing.

scholarly journals Retinal Synaptic Pathways Underlying the Response of the Rabbit Local Edge Detector

2010 ◽  
Vol 103 (5) ◽  
pp. 2757-2769 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas L. Russell ◽  
Frank S. Werblin
Keyword(s):  
Feedback Inhibition ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Cell Voltage ◽  
Retinal Ganglion ◽  
Edge Detector ◽  
Temporal Properties ◽  
Field Sensitivity ◽  
Glycinergic Inhibition ◽  
Local Edge ◽  
Feedforward Inhibition

We studied the circuitry that underlies the behavior of the local edge detector (LED) retinal ganglion cell in rabbit by measuring the spatial and temporal properties of excitatory and inhibitory currents under whole cell voltage clamp. Previous work showed that LED excitation is suppressed by activity in the surround. However, the contributions of outer and inner retina to this characteristic and the neurotransmitters used are currently unknown. Blockage of retinal inhibitory pathways (GABAA, GABAC, and glycine) eliminated edge selectivity. Inverting gratings in the surround with 50-μm stripe sizes did not stimulate horizontal cells, but suppressed on and off excitation by roughly 60%, indicating inhibition of bipolar terminals (feedback inhibition). On pharmacologic blockage, we showed that feedback inhibition used both GABAA and GABAC receptors, but not glycine. Glycinergic inhibition suppressed GABAergic feedback inhibition in the center, enabling larger excitatory currents in response to luminance changes. Excitation, feedback inhibition, and direct (feedforward) inhibition responded to luminance-neutral flipping gratings of 20- to 50-μm widths, showing they are driven by independent subunits within their receptive fields, which confers sensitivity to borders between areas of texture and nontexture. Feedforward inhibition was glycinergic, its rise time was faster than decay time, and did not function to delay spiking at the onset of a stimulus. Both the on and off phases could be triggered by luminance shifts as short in duration as 33 ms and could be triggered during scenes that already produced a high baseline level of feedforward inhibition. Our results show how LED circuitry can use subreceptive field sensitivity to detect visual edges via the interaction between excitation and feedback inhibition and also respond to rapid luminance shifts within a rapidly changing scene by producing feedforward inhibition.

Common-Mode Noise Suppression Technique in Interferometric Fiber-Optic Sensors

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (21) ◽  
pp. 5619-5627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fei Liu ◽  
Shangran Xie ◽  
Lijuan Gu ◽  
Xiangge He ◽  
Duo Yi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Noise Suppression ◽  
Fiber Optic ◽  
Fiber Optic Sensors ◽  
Common Mode ◽  
Suppression Technique

Somatosensory cortical efferent neurons of the awake rabbit: latencies to activation via supra--and subthreshold receptive fields

1996 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 1753-1759 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. A. Swadlow ◽  
T. P. Hicks
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Cortical Cell ◽  
Sensory Stimulation ◽  
Inhibitory Response ◽  
Postsynaptic Potentials ◽  
Peripheral Stimulation ◽  
Efferent Neurons ◽  
Excitatory Component ◽  
Peripheral Sensory

1. Latencies to peripheral sensory stimulation were examined in four classes of antidromically identified efferent neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) of awake rabbits. Both suprathreshold responses (action potentials) and subthreshold responses were examined. Subthreshold responses were examined by monitoring the thresholds of efferent neurons to juxtasomal current pulses (JSCPs) delivered through the recording microelectrode (usually 1-3 microA). Through the use of this method, excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) were manifested as decreases and increases in threshold, respectively. Efferent populations examined included callosal (CC) neurons, ipsilateral corticocortical (C-IC) neurons, and descending corticofugal neurons of layer 5 (CF-5) and layer 6 (CF-6). Very brief air puffs (rise and fall times 0.6 ms) were delivered to the receptor periphery via a high-speed solenoid valve. 2. Whereas all CF-5 neurons had demonstrable suprathreshold excitatory and/or inhibitory responses to peripheral stimulation, most CC, C-IC, and CF-6 neurons did not. CC and CF-6 neurons that yielded no suprathreshold response to the stimulus had lower axonal conduction velocities than those that did respond (P < 0.0001 in both cases). However, subthreshold receptive fields could be demonstrated in many of the otherwise unresponsive CC (81%), C-IC (88%), and CF-6 (43%) neurons. The subthreshold responses usually consisted of an initial excitatory component (a decrease in the threshold to the JSCP) and a subsequent long-duration (> 80 ms) inhibitory component. A few neurons (1 CC, 1 C-IC, and 5 CF-6) showed an initial short latency inhibitory response in the absence of any excitatory component. 3. Some CC and C-IC neurons yielded supra- and/or subthreshold responses to peripheral stimulation at latencies of 6.1-7 ms. All such neurons were found at intermediate cortical depths (thought to correspond to deep layer 2-3 through layer 5). It is argued that such latencies are indicative of monosynaptic activation via thalamic afferents. Very superficial CC and C-IC neurons, and all CF-6 neurons responded to latencies of > 7 ms. All CF-5 neurons responded to latencies of > 8 ms, although many were found at the same depth as the deeper CC and C-IC neurons that responded at monosynaptic latencies. These results indicate that cortical cell type as well as laminar position are important factors that determine the sequence of intracortical neuronal activation after peripheral sensory stimulation.

scholarly journals Compact closed‐loop resonator filters with wide spurious free band and extended common‐mode noise suppression

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 860-866
Author(s):  
Arcesio Arbelaez ◽  
Jose‐Luis Olvera ◽  
Alonso Corona ◽  
Carlos Saavedra
Keyword(s):  
Closed Loop ◽  
Noise Suppression ◽  
Common Mode ◽  
Free Band ◽  
Resonator Filters

Efferent neurons and suspected interneurons in S-1 vibrissa cortex of the awake rabbit: receptive fields and axonal properties

1989 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 288-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. A. Swadlow
Keyword(s):  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Field Analysis ◽  
Layer 2 ◽  
Efferent Neurons ◽  
High Stimulus ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Frequency Burst ◽  
Stimulus Site ◽  
Stimulation Of

1. The behavioral tractability of the rabbit was exploited and enabled, in the fully awake state, receptive-field analysis of antidromically identified efferent neurons within the vibrissa representation of primary somatosensory cortex (S-1). Efferent neurons studied included ipsilateral corticocortical neurons (C-IC neurons, n = 56) that project to or beyond the second somatosensory cortical area (S-2) and corticofugal neurons of layer 5 (CF-5 neurons, n = 75) and layer 6 (CF-6 neurons, n = 92) that project to and/or beyond the thalamus. 2. An additional class of neurons was studied that was not activated antidromically from any stimulus site, but which responded synaptically to electrical stimulation of the ventrobasal (VB) thalamus with a burst of three or more spikes at frequencies of 600 to greater than 900 Hz. Most of these neurons also responded synaptically to stimulation of S-2. The action potentials of these neurons were much shorter (mean = 0.43 ms), than those of efferent neurons (mean = 0.98 ms). Such properties have been associated with interneurons found throughout the central nervous system, and these neurons are thereby referred to as suspected interneurons (SINs). Although SINs were found at all cortical depths, a strong peak in the distribution occurred just superficial to the peak in the distribution of CF-5 neurons. Most SINs located within this peak responded to deflection of only a single vibrissa. In contrast, SINs located in layer 6 and in layer 2-3 responded to deflection of many vibrissae (median = 11.0 and 5.5 vibrissae, respectively). In addition, SINs of layer 6 and layer 2-3 had significantly longer synaptic latencies to stimulation of VB thalamus than did SINs located at intermediate cortical depths. 3. The properties of efferent neurons and SINs differed considerably. Efferent neurons never responded to stimulation of VB thalamus with the high-frequency burst of spikes characteristic of SINs. Although greater than 70% of CF-6, CF-5 and C-IC neurons had receptive fields that were directionally selective, only 20% of SINs showed any degree of directional selectivity. Furthermore, SINs showed both much lower angular thresholds to vibrissa deflection and a much greater ability to follow high-stimulus frequencies than was seen in efferent neurons. The spontaneous firing rates of SINs had a mean value of 16.5 spikes/s, which was the highest seen in any population within S-1. 4. CF-5 neurons had a number of properties which contrasted with those of both CF-6 and C-IC neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Visual hyperacuity: spatiotemporal interpolation in human vision

1981 ◽  
Vol 213 (1193) ◽  
pp. 451-477 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Constant Velocity ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Spatial Separation ◽  
Human Vision ◽  
Interpolation Process ◽  
Vernier Acuity ◽  
Optimal Velocity ◽  
Temporal Properties ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Temporal Offset

Stroboscopic presentation of a moving object can be interpolated by our visual system into the perception of continuous motion. The precision of this interpolation process has been explored by measuring the vernier discrimination threshold for targets displayed stroboscopically at a sequence of stations. The vernier targets, moving at constant velocity, were presented either with a spatial offset or with a temporal offset or with both. The main results are: (1) vernier acuity for spatial offset is rather invariant over a wide range of velocities and separations between the stations (see Westheimer & McKee 1975); (2) vernier acuity for temporal offset depends on spatial separation and velocity. At each separation there is an optimal velocity such that the strobe interval is roughly constant at about 30 ms; optimal acuity decreases with increasing separation; (3) blur of the vernier pattern decreases acuity for spatial offsets, but improves acuity for temporal offsets (at high velocities and large separations); (4) a temporal offset exactly compensates the equivalent (at the given velocity) spatial offset only for a small separation and optimal velocity; otherwise the spatial offset dominates. A theoretical analysis of the interpolation problem suggests a computational scheme based on the assumption of constant velocity motion. This assumption reflects a constraint satisfied in normal vision over the short times and small distances normally relevant for the interpolation process. A reasonable implementation of this scheme only requires a set of independent, direction selective spatiotemporal channels, that is receptive fields with the different sizes and temporal properties revealed by psychophysical experiments. It is concluded that sophisticated mechanisms are not required to account for the main properties of vernier acuity with moving targets. It is furthermore suggested that the spatiotemporal channels of human vision may be the interpolation filters themselves. Possible neurophysiological implications are briefly discussed.

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