Toward Building Hybrid Biological/in silico Neural Networks for Motor Neuroprosthetic Control

WOS: 000370402900001PubMed ID: 26321943In this article, we introduce the Bioinspired Neuroprosthetic Design Environment (BNDE) as a practical platform for the development of novel brain-machine interface (BMI) controllers, which are based on spiking model neurons. We built the BNDE around a hard real-time system so that it is capable of creating simulated synapses from extra-cellularly recorded neurons to model neurons. In order to evaluate the practicality of the BNDE for neuroprosthetic control experiments, a novel, adaptive BMI controller was developed and tested using real-time closed-loop simulations. The present controller consists of two in silico medium spiny neurons, which receive simulated synaptic inputs from recorded motor cortical neurons. In the closed-loop simulations, the recordings from the cortical neurons were imitated using an external, hardware-based neural signal synthesizer. By implementing a reward-modulated spike timing-dependent plasticity rule, the controller achieved perfect target reach accuracy for a two-target reaching task in one-dimensional space. The BNDE combines the flexibility of software-based spiking neural network (SNN) simulations with powerful online data visualization tools and is a low-cost, PC-based, and all-in-one solution for developing neurally inspired BMI controllers. We believe that the BNDE is the first implementation, which is capable of creating hybrid biological/in silico neural networks for motor neuroprosthetic control and utilizes multiple CPU cores for computationally intensive real-time SNN simulations.Bogazici University BAP Grants [10XD3]; Bogazici University Life Sciences and Technologies Research Center [09K120520]This research was supported by Bogazici University BAP Grants #10XD3 and Bogazici University Life Sciences and Technologies Research Center #09K120520

A comparative study of health related quality of life, psychological well-being, impact of illness and stigma in epilepsy and migraine

This study aimed to show the difference of epilepsy from another chronic neurological disorder with episodic manifestations (CDEM): migraine. Seventy persons with epilepsy (PWE), 56 persons with migraine (PWM) and 45 healthy control participants (HCs) were included. The groups were compared in terms of demographics, quality of life, depression and self-esteem. The PWE and PWM were also compared with regard to stigma, impact of the illness, disclosure, application of spiritual/traditional healing methods, limitations, most affected life areas, and restrictions. Results showed that the PWM had lower quality of life values than the PWE and the HCs, while there was no difference among the groups in depression and self-esteem. Results also show higher unemployment levels and lower marriage rates for the PWE, where education levels were equal. Although the PWM had higher impact of illness values, the PWE were shown to have higher stigma, more concealment behavior, and higher traditional/spiritual healing application ratios. Also, the PWM emphasized the importance of being "able to fulfil daily living, social and work activities", while the PWE emphasized the need for "independence" constantly. These results indicate that, although both migraine and epilepsy are CDEMs, they have different levels of impact on patients' lives. The impacts are socially greater in epilepsy and extend beyond the neurological condition itself. (C) 2011 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

The effects of systemic and intratumoral interleukin-12 treatment in C6 rat glioma model

Objective: Cytokine based immunotherapy has long been an exciting field for many investigators aiming to provide an effective alternative treatment modality for glioma management. Among these cytokines, interleukin-12 (IL-12) plays a crucial role in mediating inflammatory and antitumoral activity on the host defence. We have investigated the therapeutic role of systemic and local delivery of IL-12 in C6 rat glioma model and compared these two modalities