MS3 Stochastic Resonance in Medicine and Biology

Sunday, May 18

10:00 AM-12:00 PM Ballroom III - Level B

MS3
Stochastic Resonance in Medicine and Biology

Stochastic resonance (SR) is a phenomenon wherein the response of a nonlinear system to a weak input signal is optimized by the presence of a particular level of noise. SR has been examined theoretically and experimentally in a wide variety of systems, including biological systems. This minisymposium will focus on recent SR studies that deal with neurophysiological sensory systems, including the theoretical and experimental techniques that are used to characterize SR in sensory neurons. Possible physiological and clinical applications of SR (e.g., noise-enhanced sensory function in humans) will also be addressed, along with the biophysical and bioengineering challenges surrounding these applications.

Organizer: James J. Collins
Boston University

10:00 Noise, Hair Cells, and the Leopard Frog: Kurt Wiesenfeld and Peter Jung, Georgia Institute of Technology; and Fernan Jaramillo, Emory University
10:30 Noise-Enhanced Sensory Function: James J. Collins, Organizer
11:00 Stochastic Resonance in Human Muscle Spindles-A Potential Mechanism for Fusimotor Gain Control: Paul J. Cordo, R. S. Dow Neurological Sciences Institute; Sabine M. P. Verschueren, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium; J. Timothy Inglis, University of British Columbia, Canada; Frank Moss, University of Missouri, St. Louis; Daniel M. Merfeld, R. S. Dow Neurological Sciences Institute; and James J. Collins, Organizer
11:30 Augmentation of Sensory Nerve Action Potentials During Muscle Contraction: Faye Y. Chiou-Tan, Kevin N. Magee, Stephen Tuel, Lawrence Robinson, Thomas Krouskop, Maureen R. Nelson, and Frank Moss, Baylor College of Medicine

TMP, 4/3/97