Computational neuroscience

Computational neuroscience is an interdisciplinary field which draws on neuroscience, computer science, and applied mathematics. It most often uses mathematical and computational techniques such as computer simulations and mathematical models to understand the function of the nervous system.

The field of computational neuroscience began with the work of Andrew Huxley, Alan Hodgkin, and David Marr. The results of Hodgkin and Huxley's pioneering work in developing the voltage clamp allowed them to develop the first mathematical model of the action potential. David Marr's work focuses on the interactions between neurons, suggesting computational approaches to the study of how functional groups of neurons within the hippocampus and neocortex interact, store, process, and transmit information.

See also

• Connectionism
• Neural network
• Cell potential
• Transmembrane potential difference
• electrophysiology
• Important publications in neuroscience
• Brain-computer interface
• Neural engineering
• Neurotechnology

References

• Eric L. Schwartz, ed.: Computational Neuroscience, MIT Press, 1990, ISBN 0262192918.
• Peter Dayan, L.F. Abbott: Theoretical Neuroscience: Computational and Mathematical Modeling of Neural Systems, MIT Press, 2001, ISBN 0262041995.
• Rieke, F. et. al.: Spikes: Exploring the Neural Code, MIT Press, 1999, ISBN 0262681080.
• Erik de Schutter, ed.: Computational Neuroscience - Realistic Modeling for Experimentalists, CRC Press, 2000, ISBN 0849320682.

External links

• Biological Cybernetics Journal
• The Journal of Computational Neuroscience
• Neural Computation
• Genesis, a general neural simulation system
• Neuron, a neural network simulator
• HHsim, a neuronal membrane simulator
• Cosyne, a major computational neuroscience meeting
• compneuro.org, books and programs for neural modeling