This is an archived course. A more recent version may be available at ocw.mit.edu.

 

Lecture Notes

LEC # TOPICS
1 The layout of the visual system, the retina, and the lateral geniculate nucleus (PDF)
2 The visual cortex (PDF)
3 The ON and OFF channels (PDF)
4 The midget and parasol channels (PDF)
5 Adaptation and color (PDF)
6 Depth perception (PDF)
7 Form perception (PDF)
8 Illusions and visual prosthetics (PDF - 1.1 MB)
9 The neural control of visually guided eye movements, subcortical control (PDF - 1.0 MB)
10 The neural control of visually guided eye movements, cortical control
11 Motion perception and pursuit eye movements (PDF - 1.3 MB)
12 Discussions and overview
13 Midterm exam
14 Sound; external, middle, and inner ears
15 Hair cells: Transduction, electrophysiology and "Cochlear Amplifier"
16 Auditory nerve; psychophysics of frequency resolution
17 Hearing loss and cochlear implants
18 Cochlear nucleus: Tonotopy, unit types and cell types
19 Brainstem reflexes: OC efferents and middle ear muscles
20 Sound localization I: Psychophysics and neural circuits
21 Sound localization II: Superior olivary complex and inferior colliculus
22 Auditory cortex I: General physiology and role in sound localization
23 Auditory cortex II: Language; Bats and echolocation
24 Eaton-Peabody lab tour at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
25 Review session for audition
26 Comparison of vision and audition, vision review (PDF)