Section: Research Program

Research Directions

• From the microscopic to the mesoscopic scale:

  One research direction focuses on the relation of single neuron activity on the microscopic scale to the activity of neuronal populations. To this end, the team investigates the stochastic dynamics of single neurons subject to external random inputs and involving random microscopic properties, such as random synaptic strengths and probability distributions of spatial locations of membrane ion channels. Such an approach yields a stochastic model of single neurons and allows the derivation of a stochastic neural population model.

  This bridge between the microscopic and mesoscopic scale may be performed via two pathways. The analytical and numerical treatment of the microscopic model may be called a bottom-up approach, since it leads to a population activity model based on microscopic activity. This approach allows to compare theoretical neural population activity to experimentally obtained population activity. The top-down approach aims at extracting signal features from experimental data gained from neural populations which give insight into the dynamics of neural populations and the underlying microscopic activity. The work on both approaches represents a well-balanced investigation of the neural system based on the systems properties.

• From the mesoscopic to the macroscopic scale:

  The other research direction aims to link neural population dynamics to macroscopic activity and behaviour or, more generally, to phenomenological features. This link is more indirect but a very powerful approach to understand the brain, e.g., in the context of medical applications. Since real neural systems, such as in mammals, exhibit an interconnected network of neural populations, the team studies analytically and numerically the network dynamics of neural populations to gain deeper insight into possible phenomena, such as traveling waves or enhancement and diminution of certain neural rhythms. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a wonderful brain imaging technique to study the overall brain activity in real time non-invasively. However it is necessary to develop robust techniques based on stable features by investigating the time and frequency domains of brain signals. Two types of information are typically used in EEG signals: (i) transient events such as evoked potentials, spindles and K-complexes and (ii) the power in specific frequency bands.