A seminar hosted by the Bristol Neuroscience Research Network with support from the British Neuroscience Association

Organisers: Dr Paul Anastasiades (Bristol Medical School) and Dr Seán Froudist-Walsh (School of Engineering Mathematics and Technology)

Brent Doiron is Heinrich Kluver Professor in the Departments of Neurobiology and Statistics, and the College Chair, Committee on Computational Neuroscience Director, Grossman Center for Quantitative Biology and Human Behavior Committee on Computational and Applied Mathematics (CCAM). 

Abstract: Populations of neurons produce activity with two central features. First, neuronal responses are very diverse -- specific stimuli or behaviors prompt some neurons to emit many action potentials, while others remain relatively silent. Second, the trial-to-trial fluctuations of neuronal response occupy a low dimensional space, owing to significant correlations between the joint activity of neurons. These two features define the quality of neuronal representation.  We link these two aspects of population response using a recurrent circuit model and derive the following relation: the more diverse the firing rates of neurons in a population, the lower the effective dimension of population trial-to-trial covariability. This surprising prediction is tested and validated using multiple population datasets from numerous brain areas in mice, non-human primates, and in the motor cortex of human participants. Using our relation we present a simple theory where a more diverse neuronal code leads to better fine discrimination performance. In line with this theory, we show that neuronal populations across the brain exhibit both more diverse mean responses and lower-dimensional fluctuations when the brain is in more heightened states of information processing. In sum, we present a key organizational principle of neuronal population response that is widely observed across the nervous system and acts to synergistically improve population representation.

ALL WELCOME

To book a 1:1 with the speaker, please contact Paul Anastasiades. Note there are limited slots available and they will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Early Career Researchers: Journal Club and lunch with the Speaker special!

The day before the talk BN will be hosting a journal club aimed at Early Career Researchers who will spend 1-2 hours exploring and discussing one of the speaker's publications. Participants of the journal club are then invited to have lunch with the speaker the day of the seminar. Spaces are strictly limited! If you are an ECR, and would like to take part, please contact Sean Froudist-Walsh <sean.froudist-walsh@bristol.ac.uk> with your expression of interest.