16 - Some Possible Functions of Simple Cortical Networks Suggested by Computer Modeling

Abstract

Neural network models provide a description of how collective interactions between independent processing units—such as brain cells—might produce particular behaviors. This chapter provides an overview of some possible functions of simple cortical networks suggested by computer modeling. Developments in physiological techniques have led to a rapid increase in the body of knowledge about synaptic interactions between central neurons and the events that follow from them. At the same time, neuroanatomical research has produced increasingly precise descriptions of the organization of particular brain regions, including some of the simpler cortical structures of the forebrain. Use of computer simulations makes it possible to ask what emerges when a variety of neurophysiological properties are integrated into networks based on specific cortical layers. Information about the operating rules governing brain networks can be obtained from biophysical studies of neurons, analyses of their synaptic interactions, and recordings of neuronal activity in the network during behavior. The chapter focuses on the hippocampus and the salient points that play a major role in generating and pacing physiological events.