Cyberpunk's Neurology
Created By: w4nn4b3
Last Modified: 11/23/07
Summary: A collection of pages related to neurology and neuralengineering with special consideration to cognitive enhancement and Brain Computer Interfacing. Link: Who/Where
Summary:
University of Southern California Laboratory for Neural Engineering
"One of the ways neuroprosthetic devices can interact with the brain is through electrical stimulation and recording of neuronal electrophysiological activity. This is best accomplished using implantable multielectrode arrays (MEAs). In this project we use planar MEAs to run in vitro investigations of neuronal networks and neuron-silicon issues that are relevant to neuroprosthetic applications."
Boston University Reasearch Labs
"The long-term goal of our laboratory is to study the molecular and neural mechanisms underlying normal and abnormal memory processes. "
University of California Neurbiology research
"Specific topics under investigation include: molecular and biophysical analysis of ion channels; receptors and signal transduction mechanisms; formation and plasticity of synapses; control of neural cell fate and pattern formation; neuronal growth-cone guidance, target recognition and regeneration; mechanisms of sensory processing in the visual, auditory, olfactory and gustatory systems; and development and function of neural networks."
Stanford Neuroscience Research Group
"The Neuroscience Institute at Stanford advances the wellbeing of adults and children worldwide through basic and clinical research into the underlying biology of perception, memory, movement, emotion and other aspects of human consciousness and cognition."
MIT Neuroengineering lab
"An outstanding challenge for humanity is to understand the brain at a level of abstraction that enables us to engineer its function -- repairing pathology, augmenting cognition, and revealing insights into the human condition .... Our research will hopefully allow a better understanding of the nature of human existence, and the ability to engineer improvements thereupon."
John Donoghue Professor of Neuroscience
"Our lab investigates how the brain turns thought into action. At the core of this problem is understanding how large populations of neurons represent complex information. More specfically, we use novel multielectrode recording arrays and fMRI techniques to examine ways that populations of cerebral cortical neurons acquire and code information related to planning and enacting voluntary arm movements."
Nikolelislab.net
Laboratory of Miguel A.L. Nicolelis M.D., PH D. - Duke University medical center
"One of the ways neuroprosthetic devices can interact with the brain is through electrical stimulation and recording of neuronal electrophysiological activity. This is best accomplished using implantable multielectrode arrays (MEAs). In this project we use planar MEAs to run in vitro investigations of neuronal networks and neuron-silicon issues that are relevant to neuroprosthetic applications."
Boston University Reasearch Labs
"The long-term goal of our laboratory is to study the molecular and neural mechanisms underlying normal and abnormal memory processes. "
University of California Neurbiology research
"Specific topics under investigation include: molecular and biophysical analysis of ion channels; receptors and signal transduction mechanisms; formation and plasticity of synapses; control of neural cell fate and pattern formation; neuronal growth-cone guidance, target recognition and regeneration; mechanisms of sensory processing in the visual, auditory, olfactory and gustatory systems; and development and function of neural networks."
Stanford Neuroscience Research Group
"The Neuroscience Institute at Stanford advances the wellbeing of adults and children worldwide through basic and clinical research into the underlying biology of perception, memory, movement, emotion and other aspects of human consciousness and cognition."
MIT Neuroengineering lab
"An outstanding challenge for humanity is to understand the brain at a level of abstraction that enables us to engineer its function -- repairing pathology, augmenting cognition, and revealing insights into the human condition .... Our research will hopefully allow a better understanding of the nature of human existence, and the ability to engineer improvements thereupon."
John Donoghue Professor of Neuroscience
"Our lab investigates how the brain turns thought into action. At the core of this problem is understanding how large populations of neurons represent complex information. More specfically, we use novel multielectrode recording arrays and fMRI techniques to examine ways that populations of cerebral cortical neurons acquire and code information related to planning and enacting voluntary arm movements."
Nikolelislab.net
Laboratory of Miguel A.L. Nicolelis M.D., PH D. - Duke University medical center
Link: Brain Computer Interfaces and Neural Prosthetics
Summary:
Neural-Silicon Hybrids Point to New Era in Technology.
"Direct interfaces between small networks of nerve cells and synthetic devices promise to advance our understanding of neuronal function and may yield a new generation of hybrid devices that exploit the computational capacities of biological neural networks."
Mind Control of External Devices
An introduction to the concept of using signals from the Neocortex to control external devices.
Neural Prosthetics
Neural prosthetics, devices to augment human cognition or other neural functions, make up the basis of neural engineering.
Prosthetic Hippocampus
University of Souther California's project under the direction of Ted Berger to develope a fully functional artificial Hippocampus that would consist of an implantable microchip that would take over the neurological functions of that region of the brain.
The physiology of brain-computer interfaces
Issue of The Journal of Physiology addressing Brain Computuer interfaces, Neural engineering, Bio-feedback systems, and other aspects of the blooming neurotech industry.
Neural circuits in silicon
"Studies of neurally inspired silicon circuits are showing how networks of neurons can select and multiply input signals. They may also provide alternative ways to build computers modelled on biology." News and Views Nature article on building softwear models of nerual ciurcuts.
An integrated neuron-nanowire device
Article discussing Harvard Researchers' development of an assembly integrating live neurons into a silicon nanowire array to in effect create artificial synapses.
Neural engineering - Wikipedia
Brain-computer interface for Second Life
This is perhaps the closest we have thus far come to entering the matrix. Spiffy, isn't it?
THOUGHTS, NOT ARMS AND HANDS, CAN OPERATE MACHINES: NEW DEVICES MAY SOON IMPROVE THE LIVES OF PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE
"Direct interfaces between small networks of nerve cells and synthetic devices promise to advance our understanding of neuronal function and may yield a new generation of hybrid devices that exploit the computational capacities of biological neural networks."
Mind Control of External Devices
An introduction to the concept of using signals from the Neocortex to control external devices.
Neural Prosthetics
Neural prosthetics, devices to augment human cognition or other neural functions, make up the basis of neural engineering.
Prosthetic Hippocampus
University of Souther California's project under the direction of Ted Berger to develope a fully functional artificial Hippocampus that would consist of an implantable microchip that would take over the neurological functions of that region of the brain.
The physiology of brain-computer interfaces
Issue of The Journal of Physiology addressing Brain Computuer interfaces, Neural engineering, Bio-feedback systems, and other aspects of the blooming neurotech industry.
Neural circuits in silicon
"Studies of neurally inspired silicon circuits are showing how networks of neurons can select and multiply input signals. They may also provide alternative ways to build computers modelled on biology." News and Views Nature article on building softwear models of nerual ciurcuts.
An integrated neuron-nanowire device
Article discussing Harvard Researchers' development of an assembly integrating live neurons into a silicon nanowire array to in effect create artificial synapses.
Neural engineering - Wikipedia
Brain-computer interface for Second Life
This is perhaps the closest we have thus far come to entering the matrix. Spiffy, isn't it?
THOUGHTS, NOT ARMS AND HANDS, CAN OPERATE MACHINES: NEW DEVICES MAY SOON IMPROVE THE LIVES OF PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED PEOPLE
Link: News
Summary: Neurodudes
A good collection of recent neurotech reports. Frequently updated.
Journal of Neural Engineering
Special Reports Biotech: Neuroengineering/
The latest news and some good reviews on Neuralprosthetics, Imaging techniques, Brain computer interfaces, Nerual coding, and all the rest.
Neurotech Reports
A collection of neurotech reports primnarily from the bussines interest and policy angle
MindHacks
A good collection of recent neurotech reports. Frequently updated.
Journal of Neural Engineering
Special Reports Biotech: Neuroengineering/
The latest news and some good reviews on Neuralprosthetics, Imaging techniques, Brain computer interfaces, Nerual coding, and all the rest.
Neurotech Reports
A collection of neurotech reports primnarily from the bussines interest and policy angle
MindHacks
Link: 3d
Summary: Human Brain Project repository
A collection of three dimensional models of the human brain, including images from Ithe nternational Neuroimaging Consortium.
Three-dimensional
Reconstruction of the Drosophila Larval and Adult Brain Models of the Drosophila brain of both the adult and the larval stage.
A collection of three dimensional models of the human brain, including images from Ithe nternational Neuroimaging Consortium.
Three-dimensional
Reconstruction of the Drosophila Larval and Adult Brain Models of the Drosophila brain of both the adult and the larval stage.
Link: Brainbow
Summary: Transgenic strategies for combinatorial expression of fluorescent proteins in the nervous system
Link: The Senses
Summary: The restoration (and someday, augmentation) of the senses is a major goal of neuralengineering.
Great advances have been made in this field with the advent of Cochlear Implants, a direct to brain interface to restore audo sensation, and more recently with work on visual restoration.
Reconstruction of Natural Scenes from Ensemble Responses in the Lateral Geniculate Nicleus (pdf)
Garrett B. Stanley's groundbreaking 1999 study on the retrieval of visual information from the LGN of the cat brain. Images and videos of scenes were reconstructed solely by decoding information obtained through electrodes in the cats' LGN, an area of the brain that recieves impulses from the optic nerves.
Bionic Vision with Brain Implants
In an experiment almost the reverse of Stanley's, Pezaris, of Harvard's medical school, initiated visual sensations in animals by stimulating the LGN.
A Cartoon Epistemology by Steve Lehar
A good introduction to epistemological dualism, a concept that underlies much work in perception. Lehar seems to have been scorned at some point though, so don't take what else he may say about neuroscience seriously; he can come off as bonkers.
Great advances have been made in this field with the advent of Cochlear Implants, a direct to brain interface to restore audo sensation, and more recently with work on visual restoration.
Reconstruction of Natural Scenes from Ensemble Responses in the Lateral Geniculate Nicleus (pdf)
Garrett B. Stanley's groundbreaking 1999 study on the retrieval of visual information from the LGN of the cat brain. Images and videos of scenes were reconstructed solely by decoding information obtained through electrodes in the cats' LGN, an area of the brain that recieves impulses from the optic nerves.
Bionic Vision with Brain Implants
In an experiment almost the reverse of Stanley's, Pezaris, of Harvard's medical school, initiated visual sensations in animals by stimulating the LGN.
A Cartoon Epistemology by Steve Lehar
A good introduction to epistemological dualism, a concept that underlies much work in perception. Lehar seems to have been scorned at some point though, so don't take what else he may say about neuroscience seriously; he can come off as bonkers.
Link: Neural Coding
Summary: Gerstner and Kistler
Spiking Neuron Models. Single Neurons, Populations, Plasticity
Cambridge University Press, 2002
Spiking Neuron Models. Single Neurons, Populations, Plasticity
Cambridge University Press, 2002
Link: Hebbian theory
Summary: 
Hebbian theory is the currently accepted theory explaining memory formation. This model of the neural representation of mnemonic information theorizes that
" When an axon of cell A is near enough to excite cell B or repeatedly or persistently takes part in firing it, some growth process or metabolic change takes place in one or both cells such that A's efficiency, as one of the cells firing B, is increased."
In other words, patterns form in neural systems by strengthening commonly used synapses and weakening lesser used synapses. These patterns are therefore the direct result of how the neural system has been used. Among the implications of this theory is the prediction that calling forth or instigating one aspect of such a pattern will cause the rest of the pattern to automatically fill in. Thus, when you hear the voice of a loved one, you fill the rest of the patterns associated with that voice, including the visual information of their appearence, the emotional relationship you have with them, and various factual data you have store regarding this person. The voice has therefore triggered you to recreate a model of this person,
" When an axon of cell A is near enough to excite cell B or repeatedly or persistently takes part in firing it, some growth process or metabolic change takes place in one or both cells such that A's efficiency, as one of the cells firing B, is increased."
In other words, patterns form in neural systems by strengthening commonly used synapses and weakening lesser used synapses. These patterns are therefore the direct result of how the neural system has been used. Among the implications of this theory is the prediction that calling forth or instigating one aspect of such a pattern will cause the rest of the pattern to automatically fill in. Thus, when you hear the voice of a loved one, you fill the rest of the patterns associated with that voice, including the visual information of their appearence, the emotional relationship you have with them, and various factual data you have store regarding this person. The voice has therefore triggered you to recreate a model of this person,
Link: Ed Boyden's blog
Summary: Proffesor of MIT's Department of Biological Engineeringhead of the the Neuroengineering and Neuromedia Group, Ed Boyden, shares his thoughts.
Ed Boyden's Blog
"Nobody would argue against a treatment that restores normal function to a sick or disabled individual. But the consequences of going further than that--going beyond "normal"--are not commonly studied, nor endorsed by many in medicine. ... When researchers leave this line of thought, though, they point toward the possibility that going beyond normal may change us in new and unprecedented ways, improving our lives in ways that are hard to even imagine. ... It's arguably time for a discipline to emerge around the idea of human augmentation."
"Nobody would argue against a treatment that restores normal function to a sick or disabled individual. But the consequences of going further than that--going beyond "normal"--are not commonly studied, nor endorsed by many in medicine. ... When researchers leave this line of thought, though, they point toward the possibility that going beyond normal may change us in new and unprecedented ways, improving our lives in ways that are hard to even imagine. ... It's arguably time for a discipline to emerge around the idea of human augmentation."
Link: Photosensitivity - Not just for the plants anymore!
Summary:
 |
Stanford Research lab has engineered mice and roundworms to express channelrhodopsin-2 in the membrains of specific neural cells, allowing for the manipulation of specific types of neurons. See story here |
|
In a simmilar study, a Berkeley Lab research group has attached artifical light-activated ionotropic glutamate receptor (LiGluR) to the cell membrains of living neurons. The group, lead by Ehud Isacoff, preceded the Stanford study, and took a different aproach. See original article here |
 Ehud Isacoff |
Link: ROGER WOLCOTT SPERRY
Summary: A brief biography of the neurscientist and a description of his work, including his groundbreaking studies on the Corpus Callosum and nervous system organization.
