Stochastic Resonance in Human Low Level Visual Processing

We give a brief overview of some fundamental concepts of Signal Detection Theory, an established framework in psychophysics. After that, we introduce the phenomenon of stochastic resonance, a non-linear effect whereby signal detectability is enhanced by addition of small amounts of uncorrelated noise. While introducing them, we concentrate mostly on concepts relevant for our research. Whether stochastic resonance is a legitimate phenomenon within the human brain or merely a secondary phenomenon is still largely a matter of dispute. Subsequently, we outline our motivations for studying stochastic resonance effect in the human brain and propose which controls should be applied for obtaining conclusive evidence to settle the aforementioned controversy. Finally, we present preliminary results of our pilot experiments and conclude by proposing potential future directions of research.