Abstract
The electroencephalogram (EEG) and evoked potentials (EP) have long held the promise of being a way of studying the sensory processing of the brain. If we take the view that the EEG is a continuous output signal, some features of which represent the response to input signals consisting of sensory stimuli, we have an input/output system that seems suitable for application of engineering analysis techniques. Using this approach, Clynes et al. (1964) studied the brain wave responses to step, ramp and sine wave light stimuli. The step stimuli allowed them to obtain the transient response of the “system”, and the sine wave stimuli allowed them to obtain the steady state response. These results, as well as the work of other investigators (Donker, 1975; Montagu, 1967; van der Tweel and Ver- duyn-Lunel, 1965), have demonstrated the nonlinear nature of steady state evoked potentials (SSEP). For stimulation by sine wave modulated light (SML) in the frequency range 5–9 Hz, a persistent second harmonic response is seen even at very low modulation depths. Further evidence of nonlinearity is seen in the poor results in attempting to predict the response to high flash rates based on superposition of responses from low flash rates.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Bedrosian, E. and Rice, S.O. The output properties of Volterra systems (nonlinear systems with memory) driven by harmonic and Gaussian inputs. Proc. IEEE, 1971, 59, 1688–1707.
Buchsbaum, M.S. Neurophysiological studies of augmenting/reducing. In A. Retries (Ed.), Individuality in Pain and Suffering, in press.
Clynes, M., Kohn, M. and Lifshitz, K. Dynamics and spatial behavior of light evoked potentials. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., 1964, 112, 468–509.
Donker, D.N.J, Harmonic composition and topographic distribution of responses to sine wave modulated light (SML), their reproducibility and their interhemispheric relation. Electroenceph. Clin. Neurophysiol., 1975, 39, 561–574.
French, A.S. and Butz, E.G. Measuring the wiener kernels of a nonlinear system using the fast Fourier transform algorithm. Int. J. Control., 1973, 17, 529–539.
French, A.S. and Wong, R.K.S. Nonlinear analysis of sensory transduction in an insect mechanoreceptor. Biol. Cybernetics, 1977, 26, 231–240.
Hung, G- and Stark, L. The kernel identification method - review of theory, calculation, application and interpretation. Math. Biosci., 1977, 37, 135–190.
Krauaz, H.I. Identification of nonlinear systems using random impulse train inputs. Biol. Cybernetics, 1975, 19, 217–230.
Lee, Y.W. and Schetzen, M. Measurement of the Wiener kernels of a nonlinear system by cross-correlation. Int. J. Control, 1965, 2, 237–254.
Marmarelis, P.Z, and McCann, G.D. Development and application of white noise modeling techniques for studies of insect visual nervous system. Kybernetik, 1973, 12, 74–89.
Marmarelis, P.Z. and Naka, K.-I. Identification of multi-input biological systems. IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng., 1974, 21, 88–101.
McCann, G.D. Nonlinear identification theory models for successive stages of visual nervous system of flies. J. Neurophysiol., 1974, 37, 869–895.
Montagu, J.D. The relationship between the intensity or repetitive photic stimulation and the cerebral response. Electroenceph. Clin. Neurophysiol., 1967, 23, 152–161.
Palm, G. and Poggio, T. Wiener-like system identification in physiology. J. Math. Biol., 1977, 4, 375–381.
Palm, G. and Poggio, T. Stochastic identification methods for nonlinear systems: An extension of the Wiener theory. SIAM J. Appl. Math, 1978, 34, 524–534.
Sclabassi, R.J., Risch, H.A., Hinman, C.L., Kroin J.S., Enns, N.P. and Namerow, N.S. Complex pattern evoked somatosensory responses in the study of multiple sclerosis. Proc. IEEE, 1977, 65, 626–633.
Shagass, C. Evoked Brain Potentials in Psychiatry, Pleniam Press: New York, 1972.
Stark, L. Neurological Control Systems, Plenum Press: New York, 1968.
van der Tweel, L.H. and Verduyn-Lunel, H.F.E. Human visual responses to sinusoidally modulated light. Electroenceph. Clin. Neurophysiol., 1965, 18, 587–598.
Wiener, N. Nonlinear Problems in Random Theory, M.I.T. Press; Cambridge, 1958.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1979 Plenum Press, New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Coppola, R. (1979). A System Transfer Function for Visual Evoked Potentials. In: Lehmann, D., Callaway, E. (eds) Human Evoked Potentials. NATO Conference Series, vol 9. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-3483-5_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-3483-5_6
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-3485-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-3483-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive