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 Experiment Videos

The reliability of neurons.

T H Bullock

    The Journal of General Physiology
    |May 1, 1970
    PubMed
    Summary

    The probabilistic view of the nervous system is largely untestable. Evidence suggests neurons exhibit significant reliability, challenging widespread assumptions of neural indeterminacy.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

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

    Sort by
    Same author

    Symposia in neurophysiology.

    Science (New York, N.Y.)·2014
    Same author

    Plurality of viual mismatch potentials in a reptile.

    Journal of cognitive neuroscience·2013
    Same author

    Steady State Potential Differences in the Early Development of Amblystoma.

    The Yale journal of biology and medicine·2011
    Same author

    Problems in the Comparative Study of Brain Waves.

    The Yale journal of biology and medicine·2011
    Same author

    A preparation for the physiological study of the unit synapse.

    Nature·2010
    Same author

    The anatomical organization of the nervous system of Enteropneusta.

    The Quarterly journal of microscopical science·2010

    Area of Science:

    • Neuroscience
    • Philosophy of Science

    Background:

    • The probabilistic view of neural function is prevalent but faces challenges in empirical verification.
    • Debates persist regarding the extent of indeterminacy at the neuronal level.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To critically evaluate the evidence for a largely indeterministic nervous system.
    • To distinguish between different types of uncertainty and their relevance to neural function.

    Main Methods:

    • Analysis of existing arguments and evidence concerning neural indeterminacy.
    • Distinguishing between statistical mechanical uncertainty and Heisenbergian indeterminacy.
    • Reviewing evidence for neuronal reliability.

    Main Results:

    • The prevalent probabilistic view of the nervous system is deemed virtually untestable.
    • The utility of probabilistic methods for data reduction and heuristic models assuming indeterminacy are accepted.
    • Evidence for significant neuronal reliability is increasing, challenging the notion of widespread neuronal indeterminacy.

    Conclusions:

    • The inference that the nervous system is largely indeterministic at the neuronal level is questioned.
    • Neurons demonstrate a degree of reliability, contrary to assumptions of pervasive unpredictability.
    • Further research should consider the established reliability of neuronal operations.

    Related Experiment Videos