Abstract.
In any scientific theory, the conceptual framework already determines the nature and possible scope of the results. Oversimplification prevents an adequate description of the system, whereas too detailed a description obscures the fundamental principles behind the observed phenomena in addition to misspending time and resources. In theoretical neuroscience, this is an important issue because the description level varies widely from detailed biophysical descriptions to abstract computational models. We discuss the question of the appropriate modeling level in the context of a recent report on synchrony in iteratively constructed feed-forward networks of rat cortex pyramidal neuron somata (Reyes, 2003).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Acknowledgments.
Parts of this work were carried out at the Technical University of Munich with the support of the Research Unit 306 “Hörobjekte” of the DFG. The work was also supported by the U.S. Army Research Office grant DAAD-19-01-1-0026, NSF grant EIA-0130708, and NIH grant NS40110-01A2.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nowotny, T., Huerta, R. Explaining synchrony in feed-forward networks:. Biol. Cybern. 89, 237–241 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-003-0431-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-003-0431-9