Abstract
Noise has traditionally been a factor to minimize or eliminate for optimum performance of a communication system. Recently, it has been proposed that in some cases, noise may benefit information transfer and that its existence in sensory systems may be an adaptation to enhance detection of weak signals. One possible mechanism that could take advantage of noise to enhance signal transmission is a physical phenomenon known as stochastic resonance (SR). In order to study such effects in auditory neurons, use was made of the ability of amphibians to function over a range of ambient temperatures, and thus over a range of internal noise levels. The goal of the present study was to determine the effect of temperature (and internal noise) on information transmission in the frog. To this end, core temperature shifts were induced experimentally and the resulting changes in signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) were quantified. Although our results do not demonstrate SR in the sense that the S/N passes through a maximum at a particular internal noise intensity, we do demonstrate the profound influence of the internal noise on the S/N derived from the neural spike trains. Moreover, recent field and behavioral data will be presented and interpreted in the framework of stochastic resonance. [Work supported by NIH Grant DC-00222 to PMN.]
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