Contributions to Sensory Physiology

Contributions to Sensory Physiology, Volume 6 covers theories and research about the physiological basis of sensation. The book starts by describing cutaneous communication, including topics about the mechanoreceptive systems in the skin, the temporal relations of the stimuli, and pattern generation and its recognition by the skin. The book then discusses the effects of environments, such as transneuronal degeneration and stimulus deprivation, on the development in the sensory systems. The across-fiber pattern theory and the electrophysiological analysis of the echolocation system of bats are also considered. The book further tackles coding in the auditory cortex and the psychophysics and physiology of the lateralization of transient stimuli. Anatomists and psychophysicists will find the book invaluable.

Contributors Preface Contents of Previous Volumes Cutaneous Communication I. Introduction II. The Skin as an Encoding System III. Temporal Relations of Stimuli IV. Pattern Generation and Its Recognition by the Skin References Effects of Environments on Development in Sensory Systems I. Introduction II. Retrograde and Anterograde Transneuronal Degeneration III. Electrophysiology of Deprived Sensory Systems IV. Binocular Vision and Its Critical Period V. Visual Experience and Critical Periods in Avian Species VI. Auditory Stimulation, Plasticity, and Interaural Competition VII. Micro- and Ultramicroscopic Changes VIII. Behavioral Correlates IX. Sensorimotor Coordinations X. Summary and Developmental Principles References The Across-Fiber Pattern Theory: An Organizing Principle for Molar Neural Function I. Introduction II. Review of the Theory III. Application to Sensory Systems: Sensory Neural Coding IV. Other Processes V. Relation to Several Other Theoretical Statements VI. Concluding Remarks References Electrophysiological Analysis of the Echolocation System of Bats I. Prelude: Spallanzani's Bat Problem II. Introduction III. Materials and Methods IV. Emission of Acoustic Signals and Control of Signal Inputs V. Directional Sensitivity of the Echolocation System VI. Processing of Acoustic Signals References Coding in the Auditory Cortex I. Introduction II. The Basic Auditory Parameters III. Some Anatomical Considerations IV. Tonotopicity V. Feature Detection VI. Auditory Space VII. Transfer VIII. Pitch IX. Cortical Organization References The Psychophysics and Physiology of the Lateralization of Transient Acoustic Stimuli I. Introduction II. Stimulus Parameters III. Anatomy IV. Physiology V. Mod