Showing papers on "Summation published in 1987"

Review of descending motor pathways involved with transcranial stimulation

Abstract: The anatomical basis of the pyramidal tract is reviewed with respect to its proposed role in the conduction of the motor evoked potential. The fiber diameter profiles are discussed in relation to the measured conduction velocities of the corticospinal tract in humans. Stimulus parameters utilized to obtain the motor evoked potential are reviewed in relation to the laterality of response, response threshold, and properties of spatial and temporal summation. A discussion of the major descending tracts involved with walking as opposed to fine distal use of the digits is undertaken in the context of the possible prognostic capabilities of the motor evoked potential.

The effect of temporal parameters on subjective sensations evoked by electrical tooth stimulation.

Abstract: The effect of stimulus duration and frequency on subjective sensations evoked by electrical tooth stimulation was studied in 12 subjects. The sensory responses were classified using 5 equi-sensation categories (perception threshold, prepain, pain threshold, moderate pain, intense pain). Both continuously increasing and randomised stimuli were applied. A comparison was made with the activation thresholds of intradental A- and C-fibres in the cat. The mean threshold of intradental A-fibres was lower than the perception threshold at all pulse durations. Perception threshold decreased with increasing stimulus frequency. Current intensities which evoked prepain at a stimulus frequency of 1 Hz were rated as pain at 20 Hz. At supraliminal pain levels the effects of summation were more marked. High-frequency stimulation produced intense pain sensations at intensities well below the activation thresholds of pulpal C-fibres in the cat. We conclude that both perception and pain thresholds and supraliminal pain are modified by temporal summation, and that activation of different pulpal fibre populations is not responsible for production of prepain and pain sensations.

Spatial summation by simple cells in the striate cortex of the cat.

Abstract: Spatial summation has been studied in simple cells of the cat's visual cortex by examining the responses to pairs of lines. One line was placed in an ON region of the receptive field; the other was placed in an OFF region. When the luminances of the lines were modulated in anti-phase, the excitatory responses to the individual lines were almost synchronous. A simple cell's overt response to the composite stimulus was usually greater than the sum of the overt responses to the two components. The result could be explained by supposing that the underlying response was the linear sum of the excitatory signals but that an overt response occurred only when the underlying response exceeded a fixed threshold value. This was true even of simple cells which exhibited non-linearities of spatial summation, as judged from the waveforms of their responses to moving sinusoidal gratings. When the two lines were modulated in phase, the excitatory responses occurred in different halves of the temporal cycle. Some cells summed antagonistic signals linearly. The waveforms of their responses to moving sinusoidal gratings also implied linear spatial summation. However, other cells whose responses to moving gratings implied linearity of summation did not, in fact, sum antagonistic signals linearly. The excitatory responses evoked in a receptive field region were weaker than the inhibitory responses that could be evoked in the same region. The remaining cells did not sum antagonistic signals linearly. There was imperfect cancellation, resulting in the generation of ON-OFF response components. The excitatory responses evoked in a receptive field region were stronger than the inhibitory responses that could be evoked in the same region. These cells gave responses to sinusoidal gratings that did imply non-linear spatial summation.

Adaptation-related changes in the spatial and temporal summation of frog retinal ganglion cells

Abstract: The spatial and temporal summation of light by the receptive field centre of frog retinal ganglion cells were studied by extracellular recording in the eyecup preparation. The purpose was to quantify how summation changes with the state of light and dark adaptation and to clarify whether changes are due to the transition between rod and cone vision. Spatial summation was found to decrease by 30-50% as the cell was light-adapted to a threshold some 4 log units above the dark-adapted one. Temporal summation for threshold responses fell as the power -0.17 of the intensity of an adapting steady background. Neither change was bound to the rod-cone transition but occurred in the ranges of both receptor types; at equal sensitivities the summation of both receptor systems was matched.

Spatial summation and the cortical magnification of perimetric profiles

Abstract: M-scaling of the conventional spot targets of clinical perimetry at low photopic adaptation levels, such as that of the Octopus automated perimeter, does not result in the expected isosensitive profile using the current equations for humans. This disparity has been attributed to variations in the ganglion cell characteristics across the retina, most notably that of spatial summation. The hypothesis was further investigated by M-scaling the perimetric sensitivity recorded under conditions favouring reduced spatial summation, namely an increased adaptation level and a longer stimulus duration afforded by the Humphrey Field Analyzer. The M-scaled data exhibited a paracentral reduction in sensitivity relative to the theoretical isosensitive profile and an increased sensitivity beyond an eccentricity of 12 degrees. This indicates that for perimetric spot stimuli, the current human M-scaling equations under represent the fovea at the visual cortex. The implications for the design of perimetric routines are discussed.

Spatial Summation and the Cortical Magnification of Perimetric Profiles

Abstract: M-scaling of the conventional spot targets of clinical perimetry at low photopic adaptation levels, such as that of the Octopus automated perimeter, does not result in the expected isosensitive profile using the current equations for humans. This disparity has been attributed to variations in the ganglion cell characteristics across the retina, most notably that of spatial summation. The hypothesis was further investigated by M-scaling the perimetric sensitivity recorded under conditions favouring reduced spatial summation, namely an increased adaptation level and a longer stimulus duration afforded by the Humphrey Field Analyzer. The M-scaled data exhibited a paracentral reduction in sensitivity relative to the theoretical isosensitive profile and an increased sensitivity beyond an eccentricity of 12 degrees. This indicates that for perimetric spot stimuli, the current human M-scaling equations under represent the fovea at the visual cortex. The implications for the design of perimetric routines are discussed.

Temporal summation and critical duration in bee photoreceptors: a comparison of measurement methods.

Abstract: Temporal summation of visual stimuli by single retinular cells in the compound eye of the bee Melipona quadrifasciata were measured by three different methods. Critical duration was best defined by interpolating intensity-duration response functions. Measurement of responses to two types of equal-energy stimuli gave more precise evaluation of the degree of summation below the critical duration; single pulses produced an unexpected deviation from Bloch's Law.

Variation of Spatial Summation for Color Targets in Normal Photopic Vision

Abstract: The variation of the spatial summation coefficient with target size eccentricity and colour has been studied in ten young normal subjects.