Sensory Processes

David R. Soderquist is Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He received his Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Vanderbilt University in 1968. His primary research interest is in psychoacoustics, and he has published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, the Journal of Auditory Research, Perception and Psychophysics, Acoustical Letters, the Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, Educational and Psychological Measurement, Human Factors, and elsewhere. He has taught courses on sensory processes at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and has class-tested early drafts of this book with his students.

Preface Acknowledgments 1. Introduction to the Nervous System The Nervous System Dysfunctions 2. Synapses and Receptors A Brief Review Potential Sensitivity Calcium Influx Neurotransmitter Release Postsynaptic Potentials Chemical Sensitivity Neurotransmitters Introduction to Receptors Receptor Transduction Dysfunctions Summary Suggested Readings 3. Somatosensory System Overview of the Chapter Somatosensory Paths Revisited Receptors and Fibers Proprioception and Kinesthesis Receptive Fields The Thalamus The Somatosensory Cortex Dysfunctions Summary Suggested Readings 4. Pain Pain: One Definition Classic Paths The Gate Control Theory of Pain Pain and Drugs Summary Suggested Readings 5. Olfaction The peripheral Olfactory System Olfactory Transduction The Olfactory Bulb Central Olfactory Structures Olfactory Perception How Many Odors Are there? Dysfunctions Suggested Readings 6. Gustation Peripheral Processes Central Processes Taste Perception The Hedonics Dysfunctions Summary Suggested Readings 7. The Vestibular System Introduction Vestibular Periphery Vestibular Central Pathways Dysfunctions Summary Suggested Readings 8. Auditory Stimuli Introduction Summary Suggested Readings 9. Audition External and Middle Ear The Inner Ear Auditory Pathways The Auditory Cortex Dysfunctions Summary Suggested Readings 10. Vision The Visual Stimulus The Structure of the Eye The Retina Central Pathways The Thalamus and Other Neutral Centers The Visual Cortex Dysfunctions Summary Suggested Readings Glossary References Index About the Author

"There is no comparable text for a course in perception that emphasizes the neural basis of perception rather than simply perceptual phenomena and psychophysics...It is strong in the clarity with which some difficult concepts are explained. The author does not restrict himself to a physics and engineering approach, but rather gives the reader a mental image of what is happening biologically. Inclusion of disorders is another big advantage...The quality of writing is excellent. The level is appropriate for upper level undergraduates." -- RICKYE HEFFNER "I think the book's primary strengths are its attention to detail and willingness to tackle difficult topics and offer very good explanations and analogies." -- STEVEN HAASE "I'm very sympathetic to the goal of this book in taking an enhanced multidisciplinary approach to the area of Sensation/Perception, with particular emphasis on the neuroscience background. Also commendable is the detailed treatment of sense modalities other than vision and audition." -- MICHAEL SLOANE "I like the general tone of the book. The overall approach and the metaphors are quite nice." -- BRUCE HALPERN