Sensory Systems

This course examines the neural bases of sensory perception. The focus is on physiological and anatomical studies of the mammalian nervous system as well as behavioral studies of animals and humans. Topics include visual pattern, color and depth perception, auditory responses and sound localization, and somatosensory perception.

1. Introduction, the visual system.
2. Basic layout of the visual system and the retina.
3. The lateral geniculate nucleus and the visual cortex.
4. The ON and OFF channels.
5. The Midget and Parasol systems.
6. Adaptation and color.
7. Depth perception.
8. Form perception.
9. Illusions and visual prosthesis.
10. The neural control of visually guided eye movements 1.
11. The neural control of visually guided eye movements 2.
12. Motion perception and pursuit eye movements.
13. Review: The visual and oculomotor systems.
14. Sound: External, middle and inner ears.
15. Hair cells.
16. Auditory nerve; psychophysics of frequency resolution.
17. Cochlear nucleus: Tonotopy, unit types and cell types.
18. Hearing loss; demo by Sheila Xu, cochlear implant user.
19. Descending systems and reflexes.
20. Sound localization 1: Psychophysics and neural circuits.
21. Sound localization 2: Superior olivary complex and IC.
22. Auditory cortex 1: Physiology and sound localization.
23. Auditory cortex 2: Language; bats and echolocation.