Reflection of quantitative parameters of series of unreinforced stimuli of different modalities in cortical evoked potentials

Abstract

1. During systematic application of a series of a standard number of acoustic, electrodermal, and visual stimuli a U-shaped dependence of averaged cortical EP on the position of stimulus in the series is established in dogs. This is evidence that evaluation of the quantitative structure of the applied series can take place in the dog's CNS, and it takes place similarly for all stimulus modalities. 2. Recognition of the quantitative property of the stimulus takes place during simple repetition of the corresponding series of stimuli without any form of reinforecment, i.e., through perceptual learning. 3. Regular changes in EP are observed sooner and in a more stable form in structures of the analyzer to which the stimuli used are directly addressed than in cortical areas of other analyzers. 4. Dependence of EP on the position of the stimulus in the series, formed during application of stimuli of one modality, appears relatively rapidly on the change to similar series of stimuli but of a different modality. This fact indicates that evaluation of the quantitative structure of a series can be transferred froman analyzer of one modality to another.