5,485 research outputs found
Parameter estimation of neuron models using <i>in-vitro </i>and<i> in-vivo </i>electrophysiological data
Spiking neuron models can accurately predict the response of neurons to somatically injected currents if the model parameters are carefully tuned. Predicting the response of in-vivo neurons responding to natural stimuli presents a far more challenging modeling problem. In this study, an algorithm is presented for parameter estimation of spiking neuron models. The algorithm is a hybrid evolutionary algorithm which uses a spike train metric as a fitness function. We apply this to parameter discovery in modeling two experimental data sets with spiking neurons; in-vitro current injection responses from a regular spiking pyramidal neuron are modeled using spiking neurons and in-vivo extracellular auditory data is modeled using a two stage model consisting of a stimulus filter and spiking neuron model
Characterizing synaptic conductance fluctuations in cortical neurons and their influence on spike generation
Cortical neurons are subject to sustained and irregular synaptic activity
which causes important fluctuations of the membrane potential (Vm). We review
here different methods to characterize this activity and its impact on spike
generation. The simplified, fluctuating point-conductance model of synaptic
activity provides the starting point of a variety of methods for the analysis
of intracellular Vm recordings. In this model, the synaptic excitatory and
inhibitory conductances are described by Gaussian-distributed stochastic
variables, or colored conductance noise. The matching of experimentally
recorded Vm distributions to an invertible theoretical expression derived from
the model allows the extraction of parameters characterizing the synaptic
conductance distributions. This analysis can be complemented by the matching of
experimental Vm power spectral densities (PSDs) to a theoretical template, even
though the unexpected scaling properties of experimental PSDs limit the
precision of this latter approach. Building on this stochastic characterization
of synaptic activity, we also propose methods to qualitatively and
quantitatively evaluate spike-triggered averages of synaptic time-courses
preceding spikes. This analysis points to an essential role for synaptic
conductance variance in determining spike times. The presented methods are
evaluated using controlled conductance injection in cortical neurons in vitro
with the dynamic-clamp technique. We review their applications to the analysis
of in vivo intracellular recordings in cat association cortex, which suggest a
predominant role for inhibition in determining both sub- and supra-threshold
dynamics of cortical neurons embedded in active networks.Comment: 9 figures, Journal of Neuroscience Methods (in press, 2008
A Method for Neuronal Source Identification
Multi-sensor microelectrodes for extracellular action potential recording
have significantly improved the quality of in vivo recorded neuronal signals.
These microelectrodes have also been instrumental in the localization of
neuronal signal sources. However, existing neuron localization methods have
been mostly utilized in vivo, where the true neuron location remains unknown.
Therefore, these methods could not be experimentally validated. This article
presents experimental validation of a method capable of estimating both the
location and intensity of an electrical signal source. A four-sensor
microelectrode (tetrode) immersed in a saline solution was used to record
stimulus patterns at multiple intensity levels generated by a stimulating
electrode. The location of the tetrode was varied with respect to the
stimulator. The location and intensity of the stimulator were estimated using
the Multiple Signal Classification (MUSIC) algorithm, and the results were
quantified by comparison to the true values. The localization results, with an
accuracy and precision of ~ 10 microns, and ~ 11 microns respectively, imply
that MUSIC can resolve individual neuronal sources. Similarly, source intensity
estimations indicate that this approach can track changes in signal amplitude
over time. Together, these results suggest that MUSIC can be used to
characterize neuronal signal sources in vivo.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure
Fast non-negative deconvolution for spike train inference from population calcium imaging
Calcium imaging for observing spiking activity from large populations of
neurons are quickly gaining popularity. While the raw data are fluorescence
movies, the underlying spike trains are of interest. This work presents a fast
non-negative deconvolution filter to infer the approximately most likely spike
train for each neuron, given the fluorescence observations. This algorithm
outperforms optimal linear deconvolution (Wiener filtering) on both simulated
and biological data. The performance gains come from restricting the inferred
spike trains to be positive (using an interior-point method), unlike the Wiener
filter. The algorithm is fast enough that even when imaging over 100 neurons,
inference can be performed on the set of all observed traces faster than
real-time. Performing optimal spatial filtering on the images further refines
the estimates. Importantly, all the parameters required to perform the
inference can be estimated using only the fluorescence data, obviating the need
to perform joint electrophysiological and imaging calibration experiments.Comment: 22 pages, 10 figure
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