Computational neuroscience combines cognitive science, electrical engineering, physics, and computer science to explain biological, brain, and neural system phenomena. Its main areas of focus include discrimination and learning, neural networks, memory, and single neurons. The ultimate goal is to explain consciousness.
Computational neuroscience is a diverse and interdisciplinary science. It combines many fields, such as cognitive science, electrical engineering, physics, and computer science into one cohesive field. Its aim is to explain a range of biological, brain and neural system phenomena from a multidisciplinary point of view. The information obtained from such studies could be useful in the future in various medical fields. The overall and supreme goal of computational neuroscience is to explain the phenomenon of consciousness.
The field has several main areas of focus. One of the focal points is the ability of the human brain to discriminate and learn. Humans and animals have the ability to not only distinguish between various things, such as walls and trees, but also to distinguish between very similar things, such as faces. People will still recognize the face of an old friend in a crowd, even after several years of separation. As normal as that sounds, it’s a staggering feat that neuroscientists are still struggling to figure out.
The behavior of neural networks is another important focus of computational neuroscience. This focus mainly uses the field of computer science. Scientists are trying to understand the methods and patterns of signal transfer throughout the brain. This is essential for neural modeling, creating accurate models of neural interactions in the brain.
Memory, a topic that has baffled psychologists for decades, is an integral part of computational neuroscience. Neuroscientists are working to explain the changes memories experience over time. In essence, they want to fully explain short-, medium-, and long-term memory. Current study of memory focuses largely on synapses, how they change over time and how they respond to external stimuli.
Single neurons are a major topic of interest in computational neuroscience. Networks of neurons send signals throughout the body. Motor neurons tell parts of the body to take action, while sensory neurons report external stimuli to the brain, such as temperature.
Although neurons are just single cells, they are extraordinarily complex. Scientists are starting to see that they respond differently to different stimuli and can, in fact, adapt over time if needed. Computational neuroscientists hope to explain these phenomena in a cohesive neural model.
The nervous system, from the brain to the toes, has eluded full explanation for centuries. Consciousness, the thing that truly distinguishes humans from other organisms, is still beyond the scope of biology or psychology. Computational neuroscience combines several fields to explain these human mysteries. Eventually, the field can reach a conclusion about consciousness itself.
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