Connectionists: 3rd Call for Papers - Special issue on "Neural models of brain disorders"

[Cutsuridis, Vassilis]

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3rd CALL  FOR  PAPERS
====================
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 Special Issue of the Neural Networks Journal (Elsevier)
 on "Neural models of brain disorders"
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 Guest Editors
 Vassilis Cutsuridis, Boston University, USA
 (vcut at bu.edu)
 Ciska Heida, University of Twente, The Netherlands
 (t.heida at utwente.nl)
 Wlodek Duch, Nicolaos Copernicus University, Poland
 (wduch at is.umk.pl)
 Kenji Doya, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan
 (doya at oist.jp)


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 Scope
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 Recent decades have witnessed dramatic accumulation of knowledge about the
 genetic, molecular, pharmacological, neurophysiological, anatomical, 
imaging
 and psychological characteristics of brain disorders. Despite these
 advances, however, experimental brain science has offered very little
 insight into the theoretical framework for integrating neurobiological and
 psychological data.

 Surgical treatment of neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease,
 dystonia and epilepsy were until recently mainly based on applying lesions
 at specific parts of the brain. While these procedures nowadays have been
 replaced by more reversible neurostimulation methods, most therapies for
 brain disorders are still based on trial-and-error and effective mechanisms
 remain unknown.

 Mathematical and neurocomputational models play an instrumental role in
 bridging the gap between the brain and behavior, and may help to unravel 
the
 underlying mechanisms of therapy and to simulate and test new therapeutic
 strategies.

 The goal of the special issue is to provide a snapshot and a resume of the
 current state-of-the-art of the ongoing research avenues concerning the
 neural basis of brain disorders such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease,
 dementia, psychosis, affective disorders, anxiety, autism, dyslexia,
 Altzheimer's disease, epilepsy, etc. The emphasis will be on computational
 models that are tightly grounded on experimental data.


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 Specific Aims
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 The special issue specifically aims at providing insights in neuronal
 network processes and interactions underlying normal and abnormal behavior
 based on computational models. These models may describe network behavior 
at
 a microscopic (cellular) or macroscopic (system) level. The usefulness of
 the models in understanding neural organization and behavior will be
 emphasized. The neuroanatomical and neurophysiological principles that are
 included in the models are clearly stated including the simplifications 
that
 are adopted. Experimental data is presented that form the basis for the
 acceptance of the model and its reductions both in describing normal and
 abnormal behaviour.

 Therapeutic methods based on medication as well as targeted electrical or
 magnetic stimulation of the brain may be explored using these models.
 Existing therapeutic methods may be challenged while the outcome of novel
 (neurostimulation) methods may be predicted.


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 Important dates
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 Submission deadline: September 1st, 2010

 Review deadline: December 1, 2010

 Revised submission deadline: February 1, 2011

 Final decision: March 1, 2011

 Appearance in journal: ~April, 2011


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 Submission
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 Electronic submission instructions for the Neural Networks journal can be
 found under http://ees.elsevier.com/neunet/

 Please indicate in your cover letter that your article is for the special
 issue "Neural Models of Brain Disorders".