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Neuronal adaptation: Delay compensation at the level of single neurons?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 May 2008

J. Patrick Mayo
Affiliation:
Department of Neuroscience, Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. jpm49@pitt.edu masommer@pitt.edu
Marc A. Sommer
Affiliation:
Department of Neuroscience, Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. jpm49@pitt.edu masommer@pitt.edu

Abstract

Saccades divide visual input into rapid, discontinuous periods of stimulation on the retina. The response of single neurons to such sequential stimuli is neuronal adaptation; a robust first response followed by an interval-dependent diminished second response. Adaptation is pervasive in both early and late stages of visual processing. Given its inherent coding of brief time intervals, neuronal adaptation may play a fundamental role in compensating for visual delays.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright ©Cambridge University Press 2008

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