Nawrot-et-al-2003:Abstract

Embedding Living Neurons into Simulated Neural Networks

Nawrot MP, Pistohl T, Schrader S, Hehl U, Rodriguez A, Aertsen A

We present a novel technique for interfacing between a neural network simulation and living neurons. In two experiments we demnostrate how such hybrid in vitro - in vitru networks can be used to investigate neuronal function and to test model predictions.

The in vitro preparation of acute and cultured brain tissue is widely and successfully used to study neuronal processing at the level of single neurons and synapses. Due to their isolated condition, however, the investigation of their functional interplay with an active network is strongly limited. At the same time, in virtu neural network simulations have reached a state where it is now possible to investigate moderately realistic network models of high complexity. Such model studies lead to predictions which, in turn, can be tested experimentally. Here, we present two complementary approaches for embedding real cortical neurons into the virtual surrounding of a simulated cortical network. We show that a cortical cell that receives input from a large scale network model exhibits spiking statistics which are consistent with the model prediction. In a real-time application, similar to [1], we incorporate a living neuron into a hybrid synfire network model to restore stable propagation of synchronous activity. For the technical realization we developed and calibrated a setup for interfacing between computer simulation and electrophysiology in soft real-time.