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Cited by 40Fish biology, ecology, and behaviorEmbodied and Extended CognitionNeural dynamics and brain function

Contributions of electric fish to the understanding sensory processing by reafferent systems

Caputi, Angel A.·2004·Journal of Physiology-Paris
DOI 10.1016/j.jphysparis.2004.03.002
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Abstract

Sensory systems must solve the inverse problem of determining environmental events based on patterns of neural activity in the central nervous system that are affected by those environmental events. Different environmental events can give rise to indistinguishable patterns of neural activity, so that there will often, perhaps even always, be multiple solutions to a sensory inverse problem. Imaging strategies and brain organization confine these multiple solutions within a bounded set. Three different active strategies may be employed by animals to constrain the number of solutions to the sensory inverse problem: active generation of the energy (carrier) that stimulates receptors; reorientation of the point of view; and control of signal conditioning before transduction (pre-receptor mechanisms). This paper describes how these strategies are used in sensory-motor systems, using electric fish as a paradigmatic example. Carrier generation and receptor tuning to the carrier improve signal to noise ratio. Receptor tuning to different frequency bands of the carrier spectrum allows a sensory system to evaluate different kinds of carrier modulations and to extract the different features of objects in the environment. Pre-receptor mechanisms condition the signals, optimizing their detection at a foveal region where the sensory resolution is maximum. Active orientation of the sensory surface redirects the fovea to explore in detail the source of interesting signals. Sensory input generated by these active exploration mechanisms ('reafference') has two components: one, necessary, derived from the self-generated actions and another, contingent, consisting of the information obtained from the external world. Extracting environmental information ('exafference') requires that the self generated afference be subtracted from the sensory inflow. Such subtraction is often associated with the generation and storage of expectations about sensory inputs. It can be concluded that an animal's perceptual world and its ability to transform the world are inextricably linked. Understanding sensory systems must, therefore, always require understanding the organization of motor behavior.

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  • Neural processes have evolved that allow the mormyrid to extract maximum information from the return signal and avoid interference arising from reafference.

    “A number of neural processes have evolved that allow the mormyrid to both extract the maximum information content from the return signal and avoid interference arising from reafference48.”

    From Corollary discharge across the animal kingdom (2008) · cites this paper as [48]

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Authors
Caputi, A. A.
Affiliations
Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (UY)
Corresponding author
Caputi, Angel A.
ORCID
Caputi, Angel A.
Venue
Journal of Physiology-Paris
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2004-01
Volume
98
Issue
1-3
Pages
81-97
ISSN
0928-4257 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.jphysparis.2004.03.002
OpenAlex
W2075950652
Cited by
40
References
81
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 5
FWCI
1.39
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Journal of Physiology-Paris (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Fogarty International Center (1R03-TW05680-01, R03TW005680)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Embodied and Extended Cognition
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
Keywords
electric fish, reafference, sensorimotor system, fovea, signal-to-noise ratio, sensory processing
MeSH terms
Afferent Pathways, Animals, Electric Fish, Neurons, Afferent, Sense Organs

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