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Neural Modeling

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Abstract

The brain is extraordinarily complex, containing 1011 neurons linked with 1014 connections. We can improve our understanding of individual neurons and neuronal networks by describing their behavior in mathematical and computational models. This chapter provides an introduction to neural modeling, laying the foundation for several basic models and surveying key topics. After some discussion on the motivations of modelers and the uses of neural models, we explore the properties of electrically excitable membranes. We describe in some detail the Hodgkin–Huxley model, the first neural model to describe biophysically the behavior of biological membranes. We explore how this model can be extended to describe a variety of excitable membrane behaviors, including axonal propagation, dendritic processing, and synaptic communication. This chapter also covers mathematical models that replicate basic neural behaviors through more abstract mechanisms. We briefly explore efforts to extend single-neuron models to the network level and provide several examples of insights gained through this process. Finally, we list common resources, including modeling environments and repositories, that provide the guidance and parameter sets necessary to begin building neural models.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

    Michael N. Economo

  2. Brain Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Michael N. Economo, Joan J. Martinez & John A. White

  3. Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Joan J. Martinez & John A. White

Authors
  1. Michael N. Economo
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  2. Joan J. Martinez
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  3. John A. White
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to John A. White .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Deptarment of Biomedical Engineering, 7-105 Hasselmo Hall, University of Minnesota, 312 Church Street SE., Minneapolis, 55455, Minnesota, USA

    Bin He

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Economo, M.N., Martinez, J.J., White, J.A. (2013). Neural Modeling. In: He, B. (eds) Neural Engineering. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5227-0_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5227-0_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-5226-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-5227-0

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

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