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PubMed · 11329357

Neural mechanism for a cognitive timer.

H Okamoto·T Fukai
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Abstract

To examine a possible biological mechanism for a cognitive timer, the stochastic dynamics of a network of neurons possessing two stable states ("on" and "off" states) is studied. The fraction of on neurons existing at t = 0 remains large for an extended interval, and then abruptly falls. The distribution of the lengths of the interval is scale invariant in the following sense: The ratio (k root of (mu(k))/m, with m and mu(k) being the mean and the kth central moment, respectively, is invariant under scale transformations of m and mu(k). In the special case k = 2, this gives Weber's law, a hallmark of cognitive timing.

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AnimalsCognitionHumansModels, NeurologicalMonte Carlo MethodNerve NetNeuronsTime PerceptionJournal Article

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H Okamoto, T Fukai. 2001-04-23. Neural mechanism for a cognitive timer.. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.86.3919

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