NOISE-MEDIATED ENHANCEMENTS AND DECREMENTS IN HUMAN TACTILE SENSATION

Recently, it has been shown that noise can enhance the detection and t ransmission of weak signals in certain nonlinear systems. Here we demo nstrate noise-mediated improvements in human sensory perception. We sh ow that the ability of an individual to detect a subthreshold tactile stimulus can be significantly enhanced by introducing a particular lev el of noise. We demonstrate that this effect is robust over time. We a lso show that the ability of an individual to detect a suprathreshold tactile stimulus can be degraded by the presence of noise. These findi ngs indicate that noise can serve as a ''negative masker'' for the per ception of weak stimuli and a ''positive masker'' for the perception o f strong stimuli. We discuss the possibility of developing a noise-bas ed technique for improving tactile sensation in humans.