Bayesian Inference and Online Experimental Design for Mapping Neural Microcircuits

With the advent of modern stimulation techniques in neuroscience, the opportunity arises to map neuron to neuron connectivity. In this work, we develop a method for efficiently inferring posterior distributions over synaptic strengths in neural microcircuits. The input to our algorithm is data from experiments in which action potentials from putative presynaptic neurons can be evoked while a subthreshold recording is made from a single postsynaptic neuron. We present a realistic statistical model which accounts for the main sources of variability in this experiment and allows for significant prior information about the connectivity and neuronal cell types to be incorporated if available. Due to the technical challenges and sparsity of these systems, it is important to focus experimental time stimulating the neurons whose synaptic strength is most ambiguous, therefore we also develop an online optimal design algorithm for choosing which neurons to stimulate at each trial.