Title: Collective dynamics of coupled neurons
Speaker: Carson C. Chow
Speaker Info: University of Pittsburgh
Brief Description:
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Abstract:
It is known that certain modes in the firing activity of neurons in the brain are correlated with behavioral and cognitive states. These various modes can include global synchronous oscillations over a range of frequencies, asynchronous stochastic firing, propagating waves, and localized self-sustained firing. Two goals (of many) in neuroscience are to understand the functional significance of these states and the neural mechanisms responsible for goals (of many) in neuroscience are to understand the functional significance of these states and the neural mechanisms responsible for their generation. While the first goal remains mostly within the realm of speculation, the second is starting to become unraveled. I will summarize some recent numerical and analytical results on the mechanisms of synchronization and self-sustained firing in a network of spiking neurons and discuss some possible implications to function.Date: Friday, February 16, 2001