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Phys. Rev. E 65, 060901(R) (2002) [4 pages]

Physics of psychophysics: Stevens and Weber-Fechner laws are transfer functions of excitable media

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Mauro Copelli*
Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Avenida Litorânea, s/n, 24210-340, Niterói, RJ, Brazil

Antônio C. Roque†, Rodrigo F. Oliveira‡, and Osame Kinouchi§
Departamento de Física e Matemática, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida dos Bandeirantes 3900, 14040-901, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

Received 9 August 2001; published 26 June 2002

Sensory arrays made of coupled excitable elements can improve both their input sensitivity and dynamic range due to collective nonlinear wave properties. This mechanism is studied in a neural network of electrically coupled (e.g., via gap junctions) elements subject to a Poisson signal process. The network response interpolates between a Weber-Fechner logarithmic law, and a Stevens power law depending on the relative refractory period of the cell. Therefore, these nonlinear transformations of the input level could be performed in the sensory periphery simply due to a basic property: the transfer function of excitable media.

© 2002 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevE.65.060901
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevE.65.060901
PACS:
87.18.Sn, 05.45.Ra, 05.45.Xt, 87.10.+e

*Electronic address: mcopelli@df.ufpe.br

†Electronic address: antonior@neuron.ffclrp.usp.br

‡Electronic address: rodrigo@neuron.ffclrp.usp.br

§Electronic address: osame@dfm.ffclrp.usp.br

 
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