Computational Neuroscience

Of primary interest to neuroscientists are the roles of the highly nonlinear intrinsic properties of individual neurons and coupling properties between cells that determine the dynamical activity of neuronal networks. Unique mathematical features of cell-based neuronal models that underlie complex spatio-temporal patterns are the multiple and vast time scales of ionic currents (from milliseconds to seconds) and the circuit properties which include local as well as long-range coupling, possibly with random connectivity, and with kinetic aspects (time constants for decay of synaptic variables). This workshop consisted of three intense two to four-day Focus Sessions, each bringing together experimentalists and theoreticians for concentrating on specific active areas of research in computational neuroscience. Overview talks for each Focus Session provided essential biological and modeling background specific to that Focus Session. These overviews replaced the general tutorials that had been included in earlier plans for the workshop's first two days.

Topics included stereotypical dynamical behavior such as network rhythms seen during sleep and epilepsy, as well as more complex phenomena associated with goal-directed behavior or perception. Models for such higher-level cognitive function may assume that cell-based properties have been averaged into more macroscopic descriptions. Experimental model systems include brain slices of thalamus, hippocampus, and cortex and in vivo recordings in sensory and motor areas during visual and movement tasks.

• Focus Session #1 -- Early Vision: receptive fields, feature detecting, feedforward and intracortical tuning mechanisms. Wednesday, January 14 to Saturday noon, January 17.

   

• Focus Session #2 -- Hippocampus and Navigation. Sunday evening, January 18 and Monday, January 19.

   

• Focus Session #3 -- Cortical Dynamics Sunday afternoon, January 18; Wednesday, January 21 through Friday noon, January 23.