18th May

Our session is organized around two themes 1) Coupled nonlinear neuronal masses generate large-scale neural network activity, in which the network dynamics is addressed with regard to network synchronization, information processing and global phase transitions. 2) Interplay of local and global scales of neural activity ranging from synapses to neuronal networks. Specific Questions 1. Mean field approximations have proven useful for modelling large-scale cortical activity, as reflected in the EEG but are they in themselves 'real' entities? What approaches will allow us to determine if cortical oscillations are functionally useful? 2. What is the effect of global coupling on local dynamics? 3. What does the study of strong nonlinearities (esp. interdependence between temporal scales) in seizures inform us about the putative role of weak nonlinearities in healthy EEG? 4. When psychological, behavioral, imaging and unit-recording approaches are combined within one single specific computational model, how far can we go to create a synthetic brain? 5. What is the right experimental preparation that allows study of neocortical oscillations on a multi-column scale, but still allows intracellular recording and is not too big to preclude detailed modelling? 6. If we take the idea of a distributed network as a basis for a cognitive architecture serious, then how can attention, memory and decision-making processes be implemented?