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Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Sensory Systems

Massachusetts Institute of Technology via MIT OpenCourseWare

Overview

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.

Syllabus

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.

Taught by

Prof. Peter H. Schiller and Prof. M. Christian Brown

Reviews

4.5 rating, based on 2 Class Central reviews

Start your review of Sensory Systems

  • Kiyingi Reagan
    This was a fascinating course. Wow i have learnt alot and am a biology teacher but this was so helpful to me and to the future your doing a great job that is really worthless. Am really happy and i will also call others to join. Really good.
  • Mehaboobi
    Awesome as it helped me a lot for my studies and exams and gained a lot knowledge really appreciate the course

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