Computational Neuroscience: Trends in Research 2001

This volume includes papers originally presented at the 9th annual Computational Neuroscience meeting (CNS'00) held in July 2000 in Brugge, Belgium. The CNS meeting brings together computational neuroscientists representing many different fields and backgrounds as well as experimental preparations and theoretical approaches. The papers published here range across vast levels of scale from cellular mechanisms to cognitive brain studies. The Subjects of the research include many different preparations from invertebrates to humans. Within the broad array of research, several trends may be worth noting. First, this volume is again larger than last year's volume reflecting the continued growth of both our meeting and the field it supports. Second, many of the papers presented in 2000 again concerned new approaches to trying to understand how neurons code information. Another clear trend in the CNS meeting is toward models of networks of ever more complex single neurons. Comparing the table of contents of this volume with that of the early CNS meetings makes clear that the field is rapidly expanding into more complex models of both single cells, and the networks they inhabit. Finally, and perhaps most encouraging, it is clear from the talks, papers, and interactions at the CNS meeting, that a new form of communication is emerging as the base for computational studies. Growing numbers of presentations at the meeting now simply assume that the description 'Traub Pyramidal cell model' is understood. Numerous conversations at this meeting, in effect, involved the construction of a lexicon within which to describe and discuss the structure of nervous systems. Many believe that the ultimate goal of computational approaches is the development of a more formal, quantifiable means for discussing not only neuroscience, but biology in general. At the CNS meetings, it is happening.Bower, J. M. is the author of 'Computational Neuroscience: Trends in Research 2001', published 2001 under ISBN 9780444507426 and ISBN 0444507426.