INF5470 — Spring 2010

Philipp Häfliger

Lecture 2: Neurophysiology in a Nutshell

Content

Overview

Methods

Known Properties

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Content

Overview

Methods

Known Properties

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Overviewmethod test subjects observation area temp. res. spat. res.

Psycho-physics alert humans

EEG alert humans patches of brain surface ms cm2

fMRI and PET alert humans brain cross-sections 40ms 5mm3

Extra Cellular Electrode alert test animals neighbourhood of neurons �s 0.13mm3

Intra Cellular Electr. anesthetized test animals,slice preparations

one neuron �s 103�m3

Fluorescent Tracers anesthetized test animals,slice preparations

a dendritic tree ? < �m

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Content

Overview

Methods

Known Properties

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Psychophysics (1/3)

Measuring human performance in special tasks in order tomake conclusions on physiology.Examples:

æ reaction times in deciding whether there is food in apicture.

æ optical illusions

æ attention tasks:http://viscog.beckman.uiuc.edu/flashmovie/15.php

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Psychophysics (2/3) (Do you spot an animal?)

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Psychophysics (3/3)

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EEG (1/2)

Electro-encephalogram: Surface electrodes on skin,measuring correlated activity of a population of neurons.

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EEG (2/2)

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fMRI and PET (1/2)

fMRI (functional magnet resonance imaging)and PET(positron emission tomography) measure indicators ofneuron activity like increased bloodflow and oxygeneconsumption

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fMRI and PET (2/2)

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Extra Cellular Electrodes/Field Potentials

Electrodes in the brain tissue that record field potentialscaused by the surrounding neurons. Reconstructionmethods are sometimes able to isolate activity ofindividual neurons.

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Intra Cellular Electrodes (1/2)

Sharp electrodes and patch clamp electrodes observeactivity inside a neuron

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Intra Cellular Electrodes (2/2)

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Imaging with Fluorecent Tracers

For example two photon microscopy to observe dynamicsof chemicals, e.g. calcium

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Left out here: Methods in Neuroanatomy

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Content

Overview

Methods

Known Properties

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Brain Parts

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Cortical Regions (1/3)

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Cortical Regions (2/3)

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Cortical Regions (3/3)

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Orgaization within cortical regions (1/3)

Ocular dominance patterns

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Orgaization within cortical regions (2/3)

Ocular dominance patterns

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Orgaization within cortical regions (3/3)

Orientation selection patterns

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Cortical Layers and Microcolumns(1/3)

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Cortical Layers and Microcolumns(2/3)

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Cortical Layers and Microcolumns(3/3)

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Neurons and Synapses

More about those in dedicated lectures

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