Beyond Labeled Lines: A population coding account of the Thermal Grill Illusion

Publication date: Available online 26 November 2019Source: Neuroscience & Biobehavioral ReviewsAuthor(s): Francesca Fardo, Brianna Beck, Micah Allen, Nanna FinnerupAbstractHeat and pain illusions can be generated by simultaneous cold and warm stimulation on the skin, at temperatures that would normally be perceived as innocuous in isolation (e.g., ‘synthetic heat’ and the ‘thermal grill illusion’). Historically, two key questions have dominated the literature: Which specific pathway conveys the illusory perception of heat and pain? Where specifically does the illusory pain originate in the central nervous system? Two major theories – the addition and the disinhibition theories – have suggested distinct pathways, as well as specific spinal or supraspinal mechanisms. However, both theories fail to fully explain experimental findings on illusory heat and pain phenomena. We suggest that the disagreement between previous theories and experimental evidence can be solved by abandoning the assumption of one-to-one relations between pathways and perceived qualities. We argue that a population coding framework, based on distributed activity across non-nociceptive and nociceptive pathways, offers a more powerful explanation of illusory heat and pain. This framework offers new hypotheses regarding the neural mechanisms underlying temperature and pain perception.
Source: Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research