Synchronism of Neural Discharges and Their Demultiplication in Pitch Perception on the Skin and in Hearing

Abstract

The role of the volleys in the sensation of “pitch” on the skin was investigated. It was shown that the existence of rotating skin sensations does not insure perfect synchrony between sinusoidal vibrations and the discharges in the neural pathway. Experiments seem rather to indicate that, just as vibration loudness is a complex result of summation and inhibition, so is pitch sensation on the skin also influenced by summation and inhibition of a large group of end organs. One experiment showed that the pulse rate experienced on the skin is much lower than the pulse rate of the stimulus. This suggests a sort of “demultiplication” in the rate of the neural discharges along the neural pathway. This is one possible way in which synchronism may be maintained between the stimulus and the neural discharges, even though the frequencies transmitted are lowered.