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Reizstärkenabhängigkeit und Stevenssche Potenzfunktion beim optisch evozierten Potential des Menschen

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Summary

The correlation between the intensity of light-stimulus and the amplitude of averaged human visual responses is studied. From measurements of a late surface-positive wave (“P 1”; peak latency between 190 and 300 ms according to stimulus intensity) a power function with an exponent of 0.21 can be derived. A similar function with the same exponent was found by Stevens in psychological experiments: his subjects had to estimate the brightness of light-signals and to report their estimations by squeezing a dynamometer. It might be suggested that the amplitude of wave “P 1” relates to an analogical coding of the information about stimulus intensity. Differences between some exponents obtained by using colored lights are irrelevant. Parallels between these results and those from other studies of different sensory modalities are drawn.

Zusammenfassung

Die Reizstärkenabhängigkeit der Amplitude einer späten oberflächenpositiven Komponente („P 1“; Spitzenlatenz je nach Reizstärke zwischen 190 und 300 ms) im gemittelten optisch evozierten Potential des Menschen gehorcht einer Potenzfunktion mit dem Exponenten 0,21. Eine Potenzfunktion mit gleichem Exponenten hatte Stevens bei subjektiven Leuchtdichtenbeurteilungen mittels seiner Dynamometermethode im psychophysischen Versuch gefunden. Es wird daher angenommen, daß in der Amplitude der beschriebenen Welle eine analoge Verschlüsselung der Information über die Leuchtdichte zu suchen ist. Die Verwendung verschiedener farbiger Lichter ergab keine signifikant verschiedenen Exponenten der Reizstärken-Amplituden-Beziehung. Auf Parallelitäten zwischen den vorliegenden Ergebnissen und den Resultaten entsprechender Untersuchungen anderer Sinnesmodalitäten wird hingewiesen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. I. Physiologisches Institut der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany

    V. v. Loewenich & P. Finkenzeller

  2. Universitäts-Kinderklinik, Ludwig Rehn-Straße 14, 6 Frankfurt a. M. 70

    V. v. Loewenich

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  1. V. v. Loewenich
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  2. P. Finkenzeller
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Mit freundlicher Unterstützung durch die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft und die Stiftung Volkswagenwerk.

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v. Loewenich, V., Finkenzeller, P. Reizstärkenabhängigkeit und Stevenssche Potenzfunktion beim optisch evozierten Potential des Menschen. Pflugers Arch. 293, 256–271 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00417123

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