Neurons firing irregularly across harmonics reveal the fundamental period

Evidence

Visually it can be seen in Figure 3.11 that if the entries in all these inter-spike interval histograms were added together vertically (i.e., for each firing time interval), then the maximum entry would occur for the period of f0. This is reinforced when it is remembered that all places higher than those shown in the figure would exhibit outputs similar to those shown above the eighth harmonic. Notice how all the places where harmonics are resolved have an entry in their histograms at the fundamental period as a direct result of the fact that nerves may not fire in every cycle. This is the basis on which the temporal theory of pitch perception is thought to function. — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 923

Categorization

• DEFINE: Explains the core mechanism of the temporal theory of pitch perception.
• XREF: connects to: Summed nerve-firing intervals across the basilar membrane reveal the fundamental period; Pooled neural firing encodes stimulus period as spike intervals. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1210; The fundamental period emerges from pooled nerve firing intervals across all places — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 906

Broader Connections

• Summed nerve-firing intervals across the basilar membrane reveal the fundamental period #expands (0.90)
• The fundamental period emerges from pooled nerve firing intervals across all places #expands (0.90) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 906
• Pooled neural firing encodes stimulus period as spike intervals. #expands (0.85) — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1210