11) Action potentials, the electrical events underlying brain communication, are governed by ion concentrations and voltage differences mediated by ion channels (Hodgkin & Huxley – 1952) Hodgkin & Huxley developed the voltage clamp, which allows ion concentrations in a neuron to be measured with the voltage constant. Using this device, they demonstrated changes in ion …
Continue reading “History’s Top Brain Computation Insights: Day 11”
Most neuroscientists don't use human subjects, and many tend to forget this important point: All neuroscience with non-human subjects is theoretical. If the brain of a mouse is understood in exquisite detail, it is only relevant (outside veterinary medicine) in so far as it is relevant to human brains. Similarly, if a computational model can …
I thought this article at Howstuffworks was appropriate just after the all day drinking fest that is St. Patrick's Day for many. According to the article, a hangover from a heavy night (and/or day) of drinking is mainly due to dehydration. The dehydration process begins with a chemical reaction in the brain; specifically the pituitary …
Most neuroscience writing touts statements like 'the human brain is the most complex object in the universe'. This serves only to paint the brain as a mysterious, seemingly unknowable structure. This is somehow comforting to some, but it's not for me. I want to understand this thing! Here are some facts to demystify the brain …
In my most recent post I gave an overview of the "simple recurrent network" (SRN), but I'd like to take a step back and talk about neuromodeling in general. In particular I'd like to talk about why neuromodeling is going to be instrumental in bringing about the cognitive revolution in neuroscience. A principal goal of …
Continue reading “Computational models of cognition in neural systems: WHY?”
…from a knee-jerk reaction to its immediate input? Although one of the first things that a Neuroscience student learns about is "reflex reactions" such as the patellar reflex (also known as the knee-jerk reflex), the cognitive neuroscientist is interested in the kind of processing that might occur between inputs and outputs in mappings that are …
