Computational Neuroscience

Question 1

What are the 3 main uses of computational neuroscience?

Answer 1

Make sense of neural data
Use equation to describe neural phenomena
Study brain computations

Question 2

How are computers used to make sense of neural data?

Answer 2

Spike sorting

Detecting important part of raw image from 2-photon imaging

Question 3

Which equations can be applied to describe neural phenomena?

Answer 3

Filtering

Normalisation

Question 4

How can computers make use of filtering?

Answer 4

Predict number of spikes based on location of stimulus in receptive field of neuron
Rectify predicted data as cannot have negative firing rates

Question 5

What is normalisation?

Answer 5

Filtering with division

Output of recorded neuron/output of other neurons

Question 6

What is the equation for normalisation?

Answer 6

R = Lc/(C50+Clocal)

Question 7

Which phenomena does normalisation explain?

Answer 7

Saturation

Cross-orientation suppression

Question 8

How is the firing rate curve affected by an incomplete stimulus match to the receptive field when other components are present but still a degree of match?

Answer 8

Rightwards shift and maximal response decreased

Question 9

What is the efficient coding hypothesis?

Answer 9

Goal of early sensory areas to reduce statistical redundancy in sensory input - avoid brain areas firing together - independent firing more energy efficient - does so via normalisation

Question 10

What is the aim of studying computations performed by brain?

Answer 10

Understand how brain controls behaviour without understanding underlying circuitry

Question 11

What are canonical neural computations?

Answer 11

Core set of computations replicated across brain regions to apply similar operations to different problems