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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Auditory detection and discrimination in deaf cats: psychophysical and neural thresholds for intracochlear electrical signals.

More than 30,000 hearing-impaired human subjects have learned to use cochlear implants for speech perception and speech discrimination. To understand the basic mechanisms underlying the successful application of contemporary speech processing strategies, it is important to investigate how complex electrical stimuli delivered to the cochlea are processed and represented in the central auditory system. A deaf animal model has been developed that allows direct comparison of psychophysical thresholds with central auditory neuronal thresholds to temporally modulated intracochlear electrical signals in the same animals. Behavioral detection thresholds were estimated in neonatally deafened cats for unmodulated pulse trains (e.g., 30 pulses/s or pps) and sinusoidal amplitude-modulated (SAM) pulse trains (e.g., 300 pps, SAM at 30 Hz; 300/30 AM). Animals were trained subsequently in a discrimination task to respond to changes in the modulation frequency of successive SAM signals (e.g., 300/8 AM vs. 300/30 AM). During acute physiological experiments, neural thresholds to pulse trains were estimated in the inferior colliculus (IC) and the primary auditory cortex (A1) of the anesthetized animals. Psychophysical detection thresholds for unmodulated and SAM pulse trains were virtually identical. Single IC neuron thresholds for SAM pulse trains showed a small but significant increase in threshold (0.4 dB or 15.5 microA) when compared with thresholds for unmodulated pulse trains. The mean difference between psychophysical and minimum neural thresholds within animals was not significant (mean = 0.3 dB). Importantly, cats also successfully discriminated changes in the modulation frequencies of the SAM signals. Performance on the discrimination task was not affected by carrier rate (100, 300, 500, 1,000, or 1,500 pps). These findings indicate that 1) behavioral and neural response thresholds are based on detection of the peak pulse amplitudes of the modulated and unmodulated signals, and 2) discrimination of successive SAM pulse trains is based on temporal resolution of the envelope frequencies. Overall, our animal model provides a robust framework for future studies of behavioral discrimination and central neural temporal processing of electrical signals applied to the deaf cochlea by a cochlear implant.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

The filtered Fourier difference spectrum predicts psychophysical letter discrimination in the peripheral retina.

We wished to devise a measure of dissimilarity (D) which could predict psychophysical discrimination performance for Snellen letter pairs in peripheral vision. Threshold size for discriminating 33 pairs of Snellen letters was measured at 30 degrees eccentricity in the nasal retina for two subjects. D was computed for each pair by performing an overlap subtraction in the spatial domain, followed by a Fast Fourier Transform on this difference image, and dividing the total power in the resultant 'difference spectrum' by the sum of the powers of the individual letter spectra. A plot of D vs. psychophysical threshold letter size gave a mean correlation of R = -0.81. When D was calculated for letters that were low-pass filtered at different cut-off frequencies, the correlation with psychophysical performance was greatest when cut-off was between 1.25-1.9 cycles/letter (R = -0.85). Conversely, when the difference spectrum was high-pass filtered at different cut-off frequencies, the correlation decreased continuously as the cut-off increased. These results imply that the band of frequencies between zero and 1.25 cycles/letter are most important for letter discrimination in peripheral vision.

Discriminant Analysis↗
PubMed2004

Estimation of nonlinear psychophysical kernels.

Reverse correlation techniques have been extensively used in physiology (Marmarelis & Marmarelis 1978; Sakai, Naka, & Korenberg, 1988), allowing characterization of both linear and nonlinear aspects of neuronal processing (e.g., Emerson, Bergen, & Adelson, 1992; Emerson & Citron 1992). Over the past decades, Ahumada (1996) developed a psychophysical reverse correlation technique, termed noise image classification (NIC), for deriving the linear properties of sensory filters in the context of audition first (Ahumada, 1967; Ahumada, Marken, & Sandusky, 1975), and then vision (Ahumada, 1996, 2002; Beard & Ahumada, 1998). This work explores ways of characterizing nonlinear aspects of psychophysical filters. One approach consists of an extension of the NIC technique (ExtNIC), whereby second-order (rather than just first-order) statistics in the classified noise are used to derive sensory kernels. It is shown that under some conditions, this procedure yields a good estimate of second-order kernels. A second, different approach is also considered. This method uses functional minimization (fMin) to generate kernels that best simulate psychophysical responses for a given set of stimuli. Advantages and disadvantages of the two approaches are discussed. A mathematical appendix shows some interesting facts: (1) that nonlinearities affect the linear estimate (particularly target-present averages) obtained from the NIC method, providing a rationale for some related observations made by Ahumada (1967); (2) that for a linear filter followed by a static nonlinearity (LN system), the ExtNIC estimate of the second-order nonlinear kernel is correctly null, provided the criterion is unbiased; (3) that for a biased criterion, such an estimate may contain predictable modulations related to the linear filter; and (4) that under certain assumptions and conditions, ExtNIC does return a correct estimate for the second-order nonlinear kernel.

Humans↗
PubMed2004

Characteristics of human corneal psychophysical channels.

PURPOSE: To characterize human corneal psychophysical channels. METHODS: Twenty subjects participated in this study. A Belmonte pneumatic esthesiometer was used to deliver stimuli, and the ascending method of limits and the method of constant stimuli were used to estimate thresholds. Sensation was characterized for different stimuli. Corneal mechanical and chemical thresholds were measured at different temperatures. RESULTS: The qualities of the sensations induced by stimuli with different temperatures were different, and the corresponding detection thresholds of the pneumatic stimuli at four temperatures gradually increased (repeated measures ANOVA (F(3,12) = 10.326, P = 0.000). There were no temperature effects on chemical thresholds (repeated measures ANOVA F(3,12) = 0.235, P = 0.870) or mechanical discomfort thresholds from 20 degrees C to 50 degrees C (paired t14 = -0.233, P = 0.818). There were strong interactions when chemical and mechanical stimuli were added. Chemical thresholds were progressively lower when the flow rate increased and mechanical thresholds went down as the percentage of added CO2 increased (repeated measures ANOVA F(3, 12) = 6.407, P = 0.007, F(4, 16) = 19.904, P = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that humans sense corneal non-noxious cold and noxious mechanical and chemical stimuli, and that the sensitivity of some submodalities can be modulated by others. There are at least five psychophysical channels (non-noxious cold, noxious mechanical, noxious chemical-H+, noxious heat, and itching) processing corneal sensory information. Both decreased corneal chemical thresholds at high flow rates and decreased mechanical thresholds with an added chemical stimulation demonstrate that corneal psychophysical channels are not independent.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Olfactory function in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: an investigation using psychophysical and electrophysiological techniques.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the olfactory deficit hypothesis regarding Alzheimer's disease, the authors compared olfactory function in patients with Alzheimer's disease, subjects with mild cognitive impairment, and healthy comparison subjects. METHOD: Olfactory function of 14 patients with mild Alzheimer's disease, eight subjects with mild cognitive impairment, and eight healthy age-matched comparison subjects was assessed with both psychophysical tests and olfactory event-related potentials. RESULTS: Group comparison of the psychophysical test results showed a significant main effect of diagnosis for odor detection threshold, odor discrimination, and odor identification. These results correlated only partially with those obtained from olfactory event-related potentials. Seven Alzheimer's disease patients and four with mild cognitive impairment showed no olfactory event-related potentials, suggesting hyposmia, while all comparison subjects had clearly discernible responses. Patients with Alzheimer's disease were significantly more likely to be nonresponders. In the four Alzheimer's disease patients and four subjects with mild cognitive impairment who had clear electrophysiological responses, amplitudes and latencies of the various event-related potential components were normal, i.e., similar to those of the comparison subjects, although 12 of the 14 Alzheimer's disease patients and seven of the eight mildly impaired subjects were classified as functionally anosmic with psychophysical methods. CONCLUSIONS: The electrophysiological results confirm prior findings of olfactory dysfunction in patients with Alzheimer's disease and preclinical Alzheimer's disease. Investigations of larger study groups with detailed cognitive examination and postmortem diagnosis may resolve the intriguing possibility of early diagnosis and discrimination of Alzheimer's disease subtypes through chemosensory event-related potentials in addition to existing biomarkers.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Neural coding and the basic law of psychophysics.

There have been three main ideas about the basic law of psychophysics. In 1860, Fechner used Weber's law to infer that the subjective sense of intensity is related to the physical intensity of a stimulus by a logarithmic function (the Weber-Fechner law). A hundred years later, Stevens refuted Fechner's law by showing that direct reports of subjective intensity are related to the physical intensity of stimuli by a power law. MacKay soon showed, however, that the logarithmic and power laws are indistinguishable without examining the underlying neural mechanisms. Mountcastle and his colleagues did so, and, on the basis of transducer functions obeying power laws, inferred that subjective intensity must be related linearly to the neural coding measure on which it is based. In this review, we discuss these issues and we review a series of studies aimed at the neural mechanisms of a very complex form of subjective experience-the experience of roughness produced by a textured surface. The results, which are independent of any assumptions about the form of the psychophysical law, support the idea that the basic law of psychophysics is linearity between subjective experience and the neural activity on which it is based.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Psychophysical properties of a new F-speed intraoral film.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the psychophysical properties of the new Kodak InSight F-speed intraoral dental film with those for the E-speed Ektaspeed Plus film by means of the perceptibility curve (PC) test. METHODS: A specially designed test object was used. The test object was made of aluminium and was 10 mm thick. It contained ten holes, contrast details, with the same diameter of 1.5 mm but with different depths. The depths ranged from 0.03 mm to 0.30 mm in steps of 0.03 mm. The holes were placed randomly within a square area with a total of 16 possible positions. Radiographs of the test object were obtained over the full exposure ranges of the two films. A Combex DX-907 dental X-ray unit was used operating at 10 mA and two tube potentials, 70 kVp and 90 kVp. The focus-to-object distance was 50 cm. Ten observers evaluated the radiographs under uniform artificial lighting using a view box and stated the number of perceptible representations of contrast details. In order to construct perceptibility curves, absolute values of the reciprocal of the minimum perceptible logarithmic exposure differences, 1/(DeltalogE)min, were plotted as functions of the logarithm of exposures, logE, registered by the tested films. Comparisons between the two films were made separately for the two tube potentials, 70 kVp and 90 kVp. RESULTS: The results are presented graphically. PCs for the InSight film had higher peaks than those for the Ektaspeed Plus film. This indicates that the viewers were able to perceive smaller exposure differences in the former compared with the latter. PCs for the InSight film were shifted towards the left along the exposure axis relative to the PCs for the Ektaspeed Plus film indicating that the former film is more sensitive than the latter. The integrals of the PCs for InSight film were larger than those for Ektaspeed film indicating superior psychophysical properties of the InSight film. CONCLUSIONS: From the point of view of perception, the new InSight film has such psychophysical properties in comparison with Ektaspeed Plus film that it will be the more favourable of the two in clinical radiographic practice.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed1997

Psychophysical signatures associated with magnocellular and parvocellular pathway contrast gain.

Physiological data have revealed characteristic contrast gain and temporal integration signatures of the magnocellular (MC) and the parvocellular (PC) pathways. The goal in this study was to find psychophysical correlates of these signatures. Psychophysical forced-choice, luminance pedestal discrimination data were collected with a stimulus-surround display. A 2.05 degrees four-square stimulus array was varied from 73 to 182 trolands (Td) in a larger 115-Td surround. When the stimulus array was pulsed briefly, discrimination thresholds showed a minimum at the surround retinal illuminance, increasing in a V shape when the stimulus array was incremental or decremental to the surround. When the stimulus array was presented continuously as a steady pedestal within the constant 115-Td surround, discrimination thresholds increased monotonically with stimulus array retinal illuminance, obeying a slope of unity. Exposure duration variation showed temporal summation to extend to longer durations for the pulse increments and decrements than for the steady pedestal condition. Discrimination thresholds for pulsed medium-sized contrast steps showed the contrast pedestal paradigm showed the temporal signature of the MC pathway. Discrimination thresholds for small pedestal steps of the stimulus array from a steady pedestal showed the contrast gain signature of the MC pathway. The data suggested a difference in the spatiotemporal control of adaptation of the two pathways: The MC pathway adapted locally to the stimulus array, while the PC pathways showed little evidence of local adaptation. The experiments show that characteristic signatures of MC- and PC-pathway processing can be demonstrated by use of psychophysical procedures.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed2000

L/M cone ratios in human trichromats assessed by psychophysics, electroretinography, and retinal densitometry.

Estimates of the relative numbers of long-wavelength-sensitive (L) and middle-wavelength-sensitive (M) cones vary considerably among normal trichromats and depend significantly on the nature of the experimental method employed. Here we estimate L/M cone ratios in a population of normal observers, using three psychophysical tasks-detection thresholds for cone-isolating stimuli at different temporal frequencies, heterochromatic flicker photometry, and cone contrast ratios at minimal flicker perception--as well as flicker electroretinography and retinal densitometry. The psychophysical tasks involving high temporal frequencies, specifically designed to tap into the luminance channel, provide average L/M cone ratios that significantly differ from unity with large interindividual variation. In contrast, the psychophysical tasks involving low temporal frequencies, chosen to tap into the red-green chromatic channel, provide L/M cone ratios that are always close to unity. L/M cone ratios determined from electroretinographic recordings or from retinal densitometry correlate with those determined from the high-temporal-frequency tasks. These findings suggest that the sensitivity of the luminance channel is directly related to the relative densities of the L and the M cones and that the red-green chromatic channel introduces a gain adjustment to compensate for differences in L and M cone signal strength.

Color Perception↗
PubMed1986

Stability of individual psychophysical functions for perceived distance in natural indoor and outdoor settings.

Exp. 1 examined correlations of the power functions exponents for individual observers, for apparent distance in a natural indoor setting, obtained for a group of 9 observers over 5 experimental sessions separated by intersession intervals that varied from 1 day to 9 mo. Stable individual differences in the exponent of the psychophysical power law were shown. Intercorrelations of subjects' exponents were positive and reliable with 1 day between sessions and 9 mo. In Exp. 2 the estimates of apparent distance were made by 5 independent groups of 10 observers each, tested and retested at different intersession intervals. There were 5 intervals of 1 day to 9 mo. Fair temporal stability of psychophysical power function exponents was observed in most groups. In Exp. 3 psychophysical power functions were obtained from magnitude estimates of apparent distance in a natural outdoor setting. The same 10 observers were tested and then retested after 1 day and again after 1 yr. Significant correlations for both intersessions intervals indicated consistent and persisting individual differences. Taken together Exps. 1, 2, and 3, regardless of the environment in which distance estimates were performed, clearly demonstrate that power functions are repeatable, enduring, and characteristic of individuals. In addition, the mean exponents were in reasonable agreement with other reported apparent distance exponents obtained in both settings.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Misconceptions about classical psychophysics and the measurement of response bias.

Misconceptions exist about the ability of classical psychophysical techniques to measure separately the sensory and nonsensory (response bias) factors in a discrimination task. The views of the early researchers in psychophysics are reviewed. The manner in which the method of constant stimuli gives separate measures of sensory sensitivity and response bias is illustrated. Modern derivatives of classical psychophysical techniques which estimates sensory and nonsensory components are described. Finally, data indicating a correspondence between sensory and nonsensory factors obtained with various psychological techniques are reviewed.

Humans↗
PubMed1988

Temporary threshold shift measured with two psychophysical procedures.

Studies of temporary threshold shift (TTS) typically use classical psychophysical procedures, such as the method of adjustment, which are known to confound the obtained measure of sensitivity with the subject's criterion for response. A distinguishing feature of TTS research is high variability in the postexposure estimates of sensitivity, both within and across subjects and within and across sessions. It is possible that fluctuations in the subject's criterion for response (rather than actual variations in sensitivity) are responsible both for misestimations of the magnitude of the hearing loss induced by exposure to particular intense sounds (the TTS), and for the high variability that is commonly observed. To test this possibility, postexposure recovery of sensitivity was followed using two psychophysical procedures, one acknowledged to be criterion-dependent and the other relatively criterion-free. Within each postexposure session, alternate estimates of sensitivity were obtained with a version of the method of adjustment and with adaptive, two-interval forced-choice. The postexposure estimates of hearing sensitivity obtained with the two procedures were found to differ statistically; however, the preexposure baseline measures differed by essentially identical amounts. Thus, the values of TTS were equivalent with the two psychophysical procedures. Further, the session-to-session variability was found not to be significantly different with the two methods. Thus, for our trained observers at least, differences in pre- and postexposure response criteria did not appear to be a contaminating factor in estimates of TTS, and there was little basis for choice between the two procedures in regard to session-to-session variability.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Psychophysical and electrophysiologic support for a left hemisphere temporal processing advantage.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate cerebral asymmetries for the detection of brief temporal events in a group of 22 dextrals using psychophysical measures. BACKGROUND: By combining electrophysiologic and psychophysical measures, it should be possible to demonstrate that the right ear advantage reported in previous studies is the result of a left hemisphere temporal processing advantage rather than a rightward attentional bias. METHOD: Bursts of white noise lasting 300 milliseconds were delivered unilaterally to the participants' ears. Half of the stimuli contained a gap lasting either 4 or 6 milliseconds. Participants indicated whether or not the noise burst contained a gap. Asymmetries in alpha and beta activity at left and right temporal lobe sites were measured during the task. RESULTS: The psychophysical data confirmed previous reports of faster response times (RTs) and lower levels of error for the right ear (RE). There was no asymmetry in alpha activity between the left and right temporal lobes; however, there was a higher level of beta activity in the left temporal lobe. CONCLUSIONS: The electrophysiological data suggest that the perceptual asymmetry is not the result of a nonspecific rightward attentional bias but that of a left hemisphere specialization for the detection of brief temporal events. The relation between atypical temporal processing asymmetries and developmental learning disorders is discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Psychophysical evidence for rod vulnerability in age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: To determine whether there is rod system dysfunction in the central retina of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: Dark-adapted sensitivity (500-nm stimulus) and light-adapted sensitivity (600 nm) were measured psychophysically at 52 loci in the central 38 degrees (diameter) of retina in 80 patients with AMD, and results were compared with those from older adult normal controls. All dark-adapted data were corrected for preretinal absorption. RESULTS: Mean field dark-adapted sensitivity was significantly lower in AMD patients as a group than in normal subjects. Within the AMD group were subsets of patients with normal mean dark- and light-adapted sensitivities; reduced dark-adapted sensitivities without detectable light-adapted losses; both types of losses; and, least commonly, only light-adapted losses. Regional retinal analyses of the dark-adapted deficit indicated the greatest severity was 2 degrees to 4 degrees or approximately 1 mm from the fovea, and the deficit decreased with increasing eccentricity. CONCLUSIONS: These psychophysical results are consistent with histopathologic findings of a selective vulnerability for parafoveal rod photoreceptors in AMD. The different patterns of rod and cone system losses among patients at similar clinical stages reinforces the notion that AMD is a group of disorders with underlying heterogeneity of mechanism of visual loss. Dark-adapted macula-wide testing may be a useful complement to the more traditional outcome measures of fundus pathology and foveal cone-based psychophysics in future AMD trials.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Contribution of middle temporal area to coarse depth discrimination: comparison of neuronal and psychophysical sensitivity.

Recent work suggests that the middle temporal (MT) area contributes to depth perception in addition to its well established roles in motion perception. To determine whether single MT neurons carry disparity signals with sufficient fidelity to account for depth perception, we have compared neuronal and psychophysical sensitivity to disparity while monkeys discriminated between two coarse disparities (near vs far) in the presence of noise. The strength of the visual stimulus was titrated around psychophysical threshold by varying the percentage of binocularly correlated dots in a random dot stereogram. We find that the average MT neuron has sensitivity equal to that of the monkey, as was reported previously for direction discrimination in MT. We further address some important factors that could bias the neuronal/psychophysical sensitivity comparison, including the possibility that monkeys reach a decision before the end of the stimulus presentation. Unlike the predictions of a simple model that uses Poisson spiking statistics, the sensitivity of many MT neurons has little dependence on the time interval over which spikes are counted to compute a neuronal threshold. Thus the response properties of many MT neurons appear to be adapted for rapid discrimination of depth, and we describe how temporal variations in both signal and noise contribute to this effect. We therefore predicted that psychophysical thresholds should exhibit little dependence on viewing duration in our task, and this was confirmed by additional behavioral experiments. Overall, our findings show that MT is well suited to provide sensory signals that form the basis for perceptual judgments of depth.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1988

Dose-effect relationship of adenosine provoked angina pectoris-like pain--a study of the psychophysical power function.

In an analysis of the psychophysical power function of chest pain induced by adenosine, this agent was repeatedly given in increasing doses into a peripheral vein to six healthy volunteers (five men) aged 23-44 years. On the first day the maximum tolerable dose was determined. On the second day seven doses of adenosine (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80 and 100% of the maximum dose) were given single blind in randomized order followed by another seven doses in reversed order. The heart rate was calculated from electrocardiographic recordings. Chest pain was continuously rated according to the CR-10 scale. Before the adenosine test, the perception of sourness was tested similarly with six concentrations of citric acid (1-100 mM). The psychophysical power functions were similar for the perception of sourness provoked by citric acid and chest pain provoked by adenosine, with exponents of 0.69 +/- 0.21 and 0.60 +/- 0.32, respectively. The two modalities showed the same high goodness of fit to the power function (rxy being 0.965 +/- 0.030 and 0.967 +/- 0.033, respectively). For adenosine the group mean relation was R = 1.66(S-2.36)0.6, rxy = 0.999. No signs of tolerance were observed for the chest pain provoked by adenosine. In conclusion, chest pain provoked by adenosine follows a psychophysical power function as with other sensory modalities.

Adenosine↗
PubMed1980

Workshop on the role of psychophysics and physiological optics in ophthalmic diagnosis and patient evaluation. Bethesda, Md, September 19--20, 1976.

This article summarizes the proceedings of a workshop which explored new ideas and technology in optics and psychophysics which might be directed toward the diagnosis of retinal diseases and abnormalities of the visual nervous system. The workshop attempted to initiate an interaction between laboratory scientists and clinicians that would allow them to evaluate which techniques in psychophysics and physiological optics were ready for clinical exploration. Workshop participants examined four broad clinical areas toward which this technology might be directed: (1) localization of anomalies in disorders of the retina; (2) evaluation of patients with common eye diseases; (3) prevention of visual disorders and optimization of visual functions, and (4) acquisition of normative data. Whithin these four broad areas, a number of specific diagnostic applications of psychophysical and optical measurement methods were discussed. Participants also discussed mechanisms by which the National Eye Institute might coordinate laboratory and clinical research in this field.

Child↗
PubMed1978

Psychophysical tuning curves in vibrotaction.

The frequency-response characteristics of channels used in human vibrotaction were studied by using a psychophysical tuning-curve paradigm derived from auditory research. Sinusodial 200-msec vibratory bursts delivered to the thenar eminence of the hand were detected in the presence of sinusodial maskers delivered to the same skin area either continuously or pulsed in forward masking. Psychophysical tuning curves were obtained by determining the intensity of maskers of varied frequency necessary to mask a 10-dB SL test stimulus of fixed frequency. The results support the notion that at least two independent channels operate in human vibrotaction. There was no evidence for frequency selective mechanisms other than those at the periphery. Psychophysical tuning curves were similar to neural tuning curves for individual cutaneous mechanoreceptors.

Adult↗