Abstract:
Pupil size is a widely used metric of brain state. It is one of the few signals originating from the brain that can be readily monitored with low-cost devices in basic science, clinical, and home settings. It is, therefore, important to investigate and generate well-defined theories related to specific interpretations of this metric. What exactly does it tell us about the brain? Pupils constrict in response to light and dilate during darkness, but the brain also controls pupil size irrespective of luminosity. Pupil size fluctuations resulting from ongoing \"brain states\" are used as a metric of arousal, but what is pupil-linked arousal and how should it be interpreted in neural, cognitive, and computational terms? Here, we discuss some recent findings related to these issues. We identify open questions and propose how to answer them through a combination of well-defined tasks, neurocomputational models, and neurophysiological probing of the interconnected loops of causes and consequences of pupil size.
摘要:
瞳孔大小是广泛使用的脑状态度量。它是为数不多的来自大脑的信号之一,可以用基础科学中的低成本设备轻松监控,临床,和家庭设置。是的,因此,研究和生成与该指标的具体解释相关的明确定义的理论很重要。它到底告诉了我们关于大脑的什么?学生在光线的反应中收缩,在黑暗中扩张,但是大脑也控制瞳孔的大小而不管亮度。持续的“大脑状态”导致的瞳孔大小波动被用作唤醒的度量标准,但是什么是瞳孔相关的觉醒,以及它应该如何在神经中解释,认知,和计算术语?在这里,我们讨论了一些与这些问题有关的最新发现。我们确定开放的问题,并提出如何通过明确定义的任务组合来回答这些问题,神经计算模型,以及对瞳孔大小的原因和后果的相互关联的循环进行神经生理学探测。