Introduction Flashcards
Introduction: The Computing Brain
What is the focus of Computational neuroscience?
Simulating biological neurons and networks, attending to biophysics and dynamics, and biological detail.
It studies phenomena such as action potentials, synchrony, electrical fields, synapses.
What is the focus of Neural Computation?
The study focuses on information processing (e.g., pattern recognition)d. It uses simplified neurons models and highly abstracted networks. Often disregards biological detail.
What is a model?
A model is a representation of a part of reality.
Some examples:
- a computational model of the neuron
- an animal can be used as an ‘experimental’ model for another animal
- a model of a cognitive function (e.g., memory)
- a statistical model of the weather
- a mathematical model of the atom
What is a good model?
It depends on the question that you want to answer as the question implies the appropriate level of abstraction.
But in general, these are the desired properties:
a model should be…
* simple
* accurate
* representative
* explanatory
* predictive
* understandable
* detailed
*Note that ** these properties can be contradictory**. There is a trade-off between complexity (i.e. biologically implausibility and efficiency). For example simple x representative or explanatory x predictive.
What is a pattern?
Some kind of reoccurring structure; statistical regularities in the world. Think about ‘visual’ patterns, ‘auditory’ patterns, patterns of muscle activities, and many others.
What are Artificial Neural Networks?
ANN’s are computing systems that are inspired by how neurons in the brain work. Most often they abstract biological complexity to emulate cognitive function.
What is the difference between emulation and simulation?
Emulate: Reproducing the function of a system. A model ‘emulates’ behavioral function, as in, ‘this neural network model emulates the decision making behavior of mice’
Simulate: Use a computational model to reproduce the physical behavior of a substrate, as in ‘this biophysical model simulates the membrane potential’.
What is the object of study of Neurobiology?
It focuses on the biology of neurons and networks in full detail, focusing on genes, protein expression, ion channels, neurotransmitters, neuroanatomy.
While neurobiology is specifically concerned with the biological foundations of the nervous system, neuroscience encompasses a broader range of studies that include the biological, psychological, and computational aspects of neural functions.
What is the focus of Theoretical neuroscience?
Creating consistent theoretical frameworks (mathematics, computation) to describe and analyze neuronal dynamics and encoding of information in neural networks.
What problems are tackled by Cognitive Neuroscience?
Studies the neural implementation of cognitive function: ways in which neurons enable organisms to deal meaningfully with the environment (e.g., perception, attention, memory, language, decision making, emotions).
What is Neurodynamics?
A branch of theoretical neuroscience that studies spiking behavior of neurons from a the dynamical systems perspective.
