A neural timing model of visual threshold

DOI10.1006/JMPS.1996.0001MaRDI QIDQ1916542zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Michael E. Rudd

Publication date 13 October 1996

Published in Journal of Mathematical Psychology (Search for Journal in Brave)

Copyright license Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

Full work available at URL https://doi.org/10.1006/jmps.1996.0001

zbMATH Keywords

first-order approximationidealized visual neuronsincremental flash detectionintegrate and fire modelslinear receptive field weighting functionsneural timing strategypsychophysical threshold curvesreal visual neuronsspike generation modelvisual coding in Weber range

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Applications of Brownian motions and diffusion theory (population genetics, absorption problems, etc.) (60J70) Psychophysics and psychophysiology; perception (91E30) Neural biology (92C20)

Review text

This theoretical paper introduces a model of incremental flash detection. The model accounts for psychophysical threshold data on the basis of assumptions that are part physiological and part psychophysical. The physiological part of the theory consists of a model of spike generation by idealized visual neurons that possess linear receptive field weighting functions. The psychophysical part of the theory consists of two assumptions: (1) that the observer monitors the neural mechanism that is ideally located and scaled for detecting the flash; and (2) that the observer employs a neural timing strategy in order to make target/blank discriminations based on a random sample of the neural spike train. The complete theory gives an account of the shapes of psychophysical threshold curves, including their dependence on test area and duration. Many of the results presented in this paper have also been previously reported in brief abstract form. The spike generation model that is proposed here is not a detailed biophysical model. It is, however, intended as a first-order approximation to the spike generation mechanism of real visual neurons. The spike generation model can be described quite succinctly; but many of its implications -- as will be demonstrated -- are nonintuitive.

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• Models of the temporal dynamics of visual processing
• Energy model for contrast detection: Spatiotemporal characteristics of threshold vision
• Stochastic dynamic models of response time and accuracy: A foundation primer
• Coincidence detectors and two-pulse visual temporal integration: New theoretical results and comparison with data
• Conspicuity of flashes of light: interactions between intensity and duration
• A statistical model for discriminating between subliminal and near-liminal performance

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