Stochastic Resonance in Muscle Receptors

• Published in: Journal of neurophysiology Vol. 91; no. 6; pp. 2429 - 2436
• Main Authors: Fallon, James B, Carr, Richard W, Morgan, David L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Am Phys Soc 01.06.2004
• Subjects: Action Potentials - physiology; Animals; Cats; Electric Stimulation - methods; Muscle, Skeletal - physiology; Nociceptors - physiology; Stochastic Processes
• ISSN: 0022-3077; 1522-1598
• DOI: 10.1152/jn.00928.2003

1 Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia 2 Department of Physiology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia Submitted 24 September 2003; accepted in final form 20 January 2004 Noise is generally considered to have deleterious effects on the sensitivity of a signal detection system. There are, however, several mechanisms whereby the addition of noise to the input of a system can in fact improve sensitivity. One such mechanism is stochastic resonance. Although first proposed in 1981, conclusive experimental evidence for "fully tuneable stochastic resonance" in biological systems has not previously been reported. Evidence of fully tuneable stochastic resonance in the response of afferents from Golgi tendon organs and the primary and secondary endings of muscle spindles to imposed muscle length changes is presented. Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: D. L. Morgan, Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia (E-mail: david.morgan{at}ieee.org ).