Limits to visual processing: non-linearities, noise and integration

在任何感觉系统中，处理过程都有三个基本阶段：初始过滤、非线性转导和整合。神经信号受到内部噪声的干扰，这限制了可检测性。以前的方法通常假设视觉系统是线性的，神经噪声是加性的。然而，现在认识到人类视觉系统具有也影响这些测量的非线性。此外，如果不考虑这些影响，这种非线性的差异可能会与内部噪声电平的差异混淆。这些影响需要一种新的综合方法，将非线性与内部噪声区分开来。在这个建议中，我开发了新的方法，将有长期的适用性，了解在皮层的视觉处理的功能限制。这将在短期内应用于对比处理，并在中期应用于形式和运动的处理。

In any sensory system there are three fundamental stages in processing; the initial filtering, non-linear transduction and integration. Neural signals are perturbed by internal noise that limits detectability. Previous approaches have often assumed the visual system is linear and the neural noise is additive. However, it is now recognized that the human visual system has nonlinearities that also affect these measurements. Furthermore, differences in this nonlinearity can be confused with differences in internal noise level if these effects are not accounted for. These effects require a new comprehensive approach that will distinguish nonlinearities from internal noise. In this proposal I develop novel methods that will have long term applicability for understanding the functional limits of visual processing in the cortex. This will be applied in the short term to contrast processing, and to the processing of form and motion in the intermediate term.