Monday, April 11, 2011

Mapping connectomes in the visual cortex | KurzweilAI

Mapping connectomes in the visual cortex | KurzweilAI: The researchers used high-resolution imaging of neurons in the visual cortex of mouse brains, which contains thousands of neurons and millions of different connections. Using high-resolution imaging, they were able to detect which of these neurons responded to a particular stimulus, for example, a horizontal edge.

Taking a slice of the same tissue, the researchers then applied small currents to a subset of neurons in turn to see which other neurons responded and which of them were synaptically connected. By repeating this technique many times, the researchers were able to trace the function and connectivity of hundreds of nerve cells in the visual cortex.

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