Description

How does the brain work? After a century of research, we still lack a coherent view of how neurons process signals and control our activities. But as the field of computational neuroscience continues to evolve, we find that it provides a theoretical foundation and a set of technological approaches that can significantly enhance our understanding.

Computational Neuroscience: A Comprehensive Approach provides a unified treatment of the mathematical theory of the nervous system and presents concrete examples demonstrating how computational techniques can illuminate difficult neuroscience problems. In chapters contributed by top researchers, the book introduces the basic mathematical concepts, then examines modeling at all levels, from single-channel and single neuron modeling to neuronal networks and system-level modeling. The emphasis is on models with close ties to experimental observations and data, and the authors review application of the models to systems such as olfactory bulbs, fly vision, and sensorymotor systems.

Understanding the nature and limits of the strategies neural systems employ to process and transmit sensory information stands among the most exciting and difficult challenges faced by modern science. This book clearly shows how computational neuroscience has and will continue to help meet that challenge.