Connectionists: CfP Journal Special Issue on Neural Models of Cortical Microcircuits (correction)

[Vassilis Cutsuridis]

 First Call for Papers: Journal Special Issue on
 
== Neural Models of Cortical Microcircuits ==
 
Guest Editors:
J.G. Taylor, T. Wennekers, B.P. Graham, I. Vida, V. Cutsuridis
 
Special issue of the Elsevier Journal of Neural Networks
http://helen.pion.ac.uk/microcircuits08

 
= SCOPE =
 
To understand how perception, attention, action, 
learning and memory work, we need to gather data 
from multiple levels of complexity and from various 
brain states (normal and diseased) and integrate them 
at the brain-scale level. We need to identify the neuronal 
groups involved in these functions, their laminar distributions 
and their different types of neurons, draw detailed circuit diagrams, 
determine the forms of synaptic transmission and plasticity 
between different neurons and study the dynamics of the cortical
microcircuits at the cellular and synaptic level that comprise these
 neuronal groups. Recent years have witnessed a dramatic 
accumulation of knowledge about the morphological, physiological 
and molecular characteristics, as well as the connectivity and 
synaptic properties of cortical neurons. Despite these advances, 
however, only limited insight was gained into the computational 
function of the neurons; in particular, the role of the various types 
of interneurons remains elusive. Mathematical and computational 
microcircuit models play an instrumental role in exploring microcircuit 
functions and facilitate the dissection the operations performed by 
diverse interneurons. 

The goal of the special issue is to provide a snapshot and a 
resumé of the current state-of-the-art of the ongoing research 
avenues concerning cortical microcircuits with particular 
emphasis on the functional roles of the various inhibitory interneurons 
in information processing within normal and diseased behavioural 
and cognitive states. The emphasis will be on computational models 
that are tightly grounded on experimental data 




 = SPECIFIC AIMS =

 
- The interaction between the local micro circuit activity and global processing to 
achieve the desired overall processing functionality observed, say in perception 
and action,  attention, learning and memory 
- Microcircuit architectures: networks of principal and inhibitory inter-neurons 
within and between lamina, columns, mini-columns, modules, areas and/or across 
areas in the brain and their functional roles in the network.
    -- Neo-cortex
    -- Hippocampus
    -- Sensory and Motor Systems
- Cross-comparison of architectures from different brain areas
- Identified computations performed by each type of neuron in a network
- Identified modes of operation of a neuronal type and how they are related 
potentially to behaviour and cognition 
- What synaptic plasticity rules are used

 
= SUBMISSIONS =
 
Deadline for submissions is December 1st, 2008.
 
Electronic submissions 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 Cortical Microcircuits"


Regards,
Vassilis

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Vassilis Cutsuridis
Department of Computing Science and Mathematics
University of Stirling
Stirling FK9 4LA 
SCOTLAND

Tel: +44 1786 467422
Fax: +44 1786 464551
Email: vcu at cs.stir.ac.uk
Web: http://www.cs.stir.ac.uk/~vcu/


-- 
Academic Excellence at the Heart of Scotland.
The University of Stirling is a charity registered in Scotland, 
 number SC 011159.

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