Comments on: Simple mathematical computations underlie brain circuits

By: cosmowrench

cosmowrench — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 23:02:56 +0000

One cool little device that imo seems to share alot of functions with neurones is the opamp.

By: Guillermo Valle

Guillermo Valle — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 21:51:17 +0000

So what they mean is that the intensity of the signal from the SOM neurons is proportional to a subtraction from the signal of the pyramidal neuron; while in the case of PV, its intensity of signal is proportional to a dividing factor?

By: Editor

Editor — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 14:28:10 +0000

This research was intended to provide a mathematical model for how the brain processes data, to help learn more about diseases thought to be caused by imbalances in brain inhibition and excitation. I’m not sure if this research could lead to devices that use these models to process neural data in the future, but it’s an interesting question.

For example, maybe there’s a way in the future to apply highly specific transcranial electrical stimulation (see http://www.kurzweilai.net/transcranial-electrical-stimulation-replaces-invasive-deep-brain-stimulation-for-treating-epilepsy, just posted), based on sensing signals from PV vs. SOM cells and applying the desired TES? (We’re into science fiction territory here, but it’s interesting to speculate.)

By: tim the realist

tim the realist — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 13:35:49 +0000

I’m glad they were able to prove this effect, but I’m not sure what other response they were expecting? One set of cells acts as a filter (subtracting), and the other an attenuator (dividing). Filtering, amplifying (multiplying), and attenuating are basically the only functions that any analog cuircuit can do with an input signal.

A switch (digital logic) is just a very high dynamic range attenuator acting on the input signal.

Sounds like basic analog signal processing to me.

Hopefully the next steps are to measure the range of possible paramters on these circuits so they can be better duplicated in other substrates.

By: Danko

Danko — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 06:01:58 +0000

I didn’t know rats have autism. How weird.

By: Zack

Zack — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 23:31:29 +0000

Interesting. So that PV inhibitors ‘divide’ the pattern (which is spatially preserved in the brain), but the cells effected still respond to the same range of inputs. So I suppose that this just shrinks the pattern in the brain but keeps all the necessary information. And the SOM inhibitors ‘subtract’ from the pattern but respond to a narrower range of inputs… meaning that the pattern is not preserved. Maybe the PV inhibitors are an evolution of the older SOM cells, but do their job of compression better while preserving the initial pattern. Of course this is just speculation…

By: Bri

Bri — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 16:57:01 +0000

Optogenetics shining the light on thought, like a logic probe.