Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Vision01:24

Vision

Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.
Sound Intensity Level00:53

Sound Intensity Level

Humans perceive sound by hearing. The human ear helps sound waves reach the brain, which then interprets the waves and creates the perception of hearing. The loudness of the environment in which a person is located determines whether they can distinguish between different sound sources.
The human ear can perceive an extensive range of sound intensity, necessitating the use of the logarithmic scale to define a physical quantity—the intensity level. It is a ratio of two intensities and hence a...
Sound Waves: Resonance01:14

Sound Waves: Resonance

Resonance is produced depending on the boundary conditions imposed on a wave. Resonance can be produced in a string under tension with symmetrical boundary conditions (i.e., has a node at each end). A node is defined as a fixed point where the string does not move. The symmetrical boundary conditions result in some frequencies resonating and producing standing waves, while other frequencies interfere destructively. Sound waves can resonate in a hollow tube, and the frequencies of the sound...
Anatomy of the Eyeball01:20

Anatomy of the Eyeball

The eye is a spherical, hollow structure composed of three tissue layers. The outer layer — the fibrous tunic, comprises the sclera — a white structure — and the cornea, which is transparent. The sclera encompasses some of the ocular surface, most of which is not visible. However, the 'white of the eye' is distinctively visible in humans compared to other species. The cornea, a clear covering at the front of the eye, enables light penetration. The eye's middle layer, the vascular tunic,...
Sensation01:21

Sensation

Sensory receptors are specialized neurons that respond to specific types of external stimuli, initiating the process known as sensation. This occurs when sensory input, such as light entering the eye, is detected by these receptors, causing chemical changes in the cells of the retina. These cells then convert the sensory stimulus into action potentials that are transmitted to the central nervous system, a process termed transduction.
Absolute thresholds can quantify the sensitivity of sensory...
Visual System01:26

Visual System

Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Interictal thalamocortical network configuration is associated with susceptibility to seizure-related impaired consciousness in focal epilepsy.

NeuroImage·2026
Same author

An individual participant data meta-analysis of how physical activity relates to affective well-being in daily life.

Nature human behaviour·2026
Same author

Reorganization of fractal gait dynamics by auditory cueing with scale-dependent control.

Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)·2026
Same author

A Translational Neural Network Mechanism of Resilience: Top-Down Control and Plasticity of the Visual Cortex Relates to Resilient Outcome and Performance.

Research (Washington, D.C.)·2026
Same author

Smartphone App Using Reinforcement Learning for Obesity: Single-Arm Feasibility Study.

JMIR human factors·2026
Same author

High-resolution EEG dataset during resting and localized visual stimulation in the lower-left visual field.

Data in brief·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

Generating Strictly Controlled Stimuli for Figure Recognition Experiments
05:39

Generating Strictly Controlled Stimuli for Figure Recognition Experiments

Published on: March 18, 2019

Internal noise determines external stochastic resonance in visual perception.

Takatsugu Aihara1, Keiichi Kitajo, Daichi Nozaki

  • 1Educational Physiology Laboratory, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.

Vision Research
|June 3, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Internal noise levels dictate if external noise aids weak signal detection. This study demonstrates that external stochastic resonance effects decrease as internal noise increases, challenging previous assumptions.

More Related Videos

Stochastic Noise Application for the Assessment of Medial Vestibular Nucleus Neuron Sensitivity In Vitro
06:22

Stochastic Noise Application for the Assessment of Medial Vestibular Nucleus Neuron Sensitivity In Vitro

Published on: August 28, 2019

Quantification of Visual Feature Selectivity of the Optokinetic Reflex in Mice
09:28

Quantification of Visual Feature Selectivity of the Optokinetic Reflex in Mice

Published on: June 23, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 8, 2026

Generating Strictly Controlled Stimuli for Figure Recognition Experiments
05:39

Generating Strictly Controlled Stimuli for Figure Recognition Experiments

Published on: March 18, 2019

Stochastic Noise Application for the Assessment of Medial Vestibular Nucleus Neuron Sensitivity In Vitro
06:22

Stochastic Noise Application for the Assessment of Medial Vestibular Nucleus Neuron Sensitivity In Vitro

Published on: August 28, 2019

Quantification of Visual Feature Selectivity of the Optokinetic Reflex in Mice
09:28

Quantification of Visual Feature Selectivity of the Optokinetic Reflex in Mice

Published on: June 23, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Perceptual psychology
  • Cognitive neuroscience
  • Information processing

Background:

  • Stochastic resonance is a phenomenon where external noise can enhance signal detection.
  • The role of internal noise in modulating stochastic resonance effects remains poorly understood.
  • Previous research has primarily focused on the impact of external noise alone.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of internal noise levels on external stochastic resonance.
  • To determine if and how internal noise affects the enhancement of weak signal detectability by external noise.
  • To provide the first experimental evidence for the interaction between internal and external noise in signal detection.

Main Methods:

  • A visual detection experiment was conducted under varying conditions of external visual noise.
  • Internal noise level was quantified using the spread of the psychometric function in the absence of external noise.
  • Three indices were defined to measure external stochastic resonance effects.

Main Results:

  • A negative correlation was observed between the indices of external stochastic resonance and the internal noise level index.
  • The presence and magnitude of external stochastic resonance were found to be dependent on the internal noise level.
  • Weak signals were less likely to benefit from external noise when internal noise was high.

Conclusions:

  • Internal noise level is a critical determinant of whether external noise can enhance signal detectability.
  • External stochastic resonance is not solely dependent on external noise but is significantly modulated by internal noise.
  • These findings necessitate a re-evaluation of stochastic resonance models to incorporate internal noise dynamics.