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| Cognitive functions and dysfunctions emerging from a large-scale data-driven model of the olfactory bulb |
| Michele Migliore Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, Palermo, Italy |
Understanding the neural basis of brain functions and dysfunctions has a huge impact on a number of scientific, technical, and social fields. Experimental findings have given and continue to give important clues at different levels, from subcellular biochemical pathways to behaviors. However, most of the multi-level mechanisms underlying the cognitive architecture of the involved brain regions are still largely unknown or poorly understood. This mainly depends on the practical impossibility to obtain detailed simultaneous in vivo recordings from an appropriate set of cells, making it nearly impossible to decipher and understand the emergent properties and behavior of large neuronal networks. With Gordon Shepherd, we have addressed this problem using a large-scale computational model of the olfactory bulb. I will present and discuss the main results and techniques we used to design and exploit this model, implemented following its natural 3D structure, with the main general aim to uncover the mechanisms underlying higher brain functions and helping the development of innovative therapies to treat brain diseases. |