Physics of Psychophysics: Stevens and Weber-Fechner laws are transfer functions of excitable media

Sensory arrays made of coupled excitable elements can improve both their input sensitivity and dynamic range due to collective non-linear wave properties. This mechanism is studied in a neural network of electrically coupled (e.g. via gap junctions) elements subject to a Poisson signal process. The...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inarXiv.org
Main Authors Copelli, Mauro, Roque, Antonio C, Oliveira, Rodrigo F, Kinouchi, Osame
Format Paper
LanguageEnglish
Published Ithaca Cornell University Library, arXiv.org 19.10.2004
Subjects
Electrical junctions
Linear transformations
Neural networks
Psychophysics
Refractory materials
Refractory period
Sensor arrays
Signal processing
Transfer functions
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ISSN2331-8422
DOI10.48550/arxiv.0112395

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Summary:Sensory arrays made of coupled excitable elements can improve both their input sensitivity and dynamic range due to collective non-linear wave properties. This mechanism is studied in a neural network of electrically coupled (e.g. via gap junctions) elements subject to a Poisson signal process. The network response interpolates between a Weber-Fechner logarithmic law and a Stevens power law depending on the relative refractory period of the cell. Therefore, these non-linear transformations of the input level could be performed in the sensory periphery simply due to a basic property: the transfer function of excitable media.
Bibliography:content type line 50
SourceType-Working Papers-1
ObjectType-Working Paper/Pre-Print-1
ISSN:2331-8422
DOI:10.48550/arxiv.0112395