Computational neuroscience
What is the neural code?
-- techniques for recording from the brain
-- tools for discovering how the brain represents information
-- models that express our understanding of this representation
-- some methods for inferring what the brain is doing based on its
activity (week 3)
-- using information theory to quantify neural representations (week 4)
-- the biophysical basis of how the brain processes inputs and
performs complex computations (week 5)
Recording from the brain
Recording from the brain: fMRI
Scott Murray
Recording from the brain: fMRI
S. Murray
Recording from the brain: EEG
Reading out the neural code: electrode arrays
Alan Litke, UCSD
Alan Litke, UCSC
Reading out the neural code: electrode arrays
Reading out the neural code: calcium imaging
intensity
time
Alex Kwan
Looking inside single cells
Theresa Knott, Creative Commons
What is the neural code?
http://www.royles-opticians.co.uk
What is the neural code?
Retinal ganglion
cells
Ramon y Cajal, 1901
What is the neural code?
Michael J. Berry II
What is the neural code?
Michael J. Berry II
Encoding and decoding
Encoding: how does a stimulus cause a pattern of responses?
• building quasi-mechanistic models
Decoding: what do these responses tell us about the stimulus?
• how can we reconstruct what the brain is doing?
P(response | stimulus) encoding
P(stimulus | response) decoding
What is the response? What is the stimulus?
What is the relationship between them?
Neural representation of information
Neural response
Stimulus parameter
Tuning curves
Gaussian tuning curve of a cortical (V1) neuron
from Dayan and Abbott, Theoretical Neuroscience:
adapted from Wandell ’95, Hubel and Wiesel ‘68; data from Henry et al., ‘74
Tuning curves
Hand reaching direction
Cosine tuning curve of a motor cortical neuron
from Dayan and Abbott, Theoretical Neuroscience:
adapted from Georgopoulos et al. ‘92
Map of feature selectivity in primary visual cortex
Cat Bush baby
Orientation
Spatial
frequency
Issa N P et al. J Neurophysiol 2008;99:2745-2754
Higher order feature selectivity
Haxby et al., Science (2001)
“Tuning curves”
Quian Quiroga, Reddy, Kreiman, Koch and Fried, Nature (2005)
What is the stimulus s?
Quian Quiroga, Reddy, Kreiman, Koch and Fried, Nature (2005)
Tuning curves
Quian Quiroga, Reddy, Kreiman, Koch and Fried, Nature (2005)
What is s?
Quian Quiroga, Reddy, Kreiman, Koch and Fried, Nature (2005)
Building up complex selectivity
?
Top-down effects
Next up: constructing response models
P(response | stimulus)
