Theory & Data Analysis Tools

Abstract As new recording methods emerge in neuroscience, new statistical techniques are needed to properly relate neural activity to behavior, a given stimulus, or an internal process. Calcium imaging techniques are now widely used in the field of neuroscience due to their ability to easily record many neurons simultaneously. However, many existing statistical techniques and are formulated for spiketime data. In particular, generalized linear mod- els (GLMs), are developed under the assumption that neural data is in the form of individual spike times.

Learned associations between environmental stimuli and organism-effecting outcomes guide adaptive behavior. When healthy, this process results in increased rewards and decreased harm. Indicative of its foundational role in shaping behavior, associative learning dysfunction is comorbid in a host of neuropsychological pathologies including depression, addiction, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

PROJECT SUMMARY How information is transformed as it propagates through a neural circuit remains an outstanding question of modern neuroscience. Answering this question for a given circuit requires knowledge of: 1) the information being transformed, 2) activity in pre- and postsynaptic populations, and 3) connectivity between pre- and postsynaptic populations. The tremendous complexity of neural circuits has made such investigation exceedingly difficult, with success limited to small local circuits or across gross brain regions.

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Fast microscopy techniques, coupled with recent advances in tissue clearing, are now able to efficiently produce cellular-resolution images of intact brain samples. These technologies have generated three- dimensional (3D) images of entire intact brains from model organisms and large sections of human brain samples, enabling mapping of neuronal circuits from synapse to systems levels. Going forward, it will be essential to share data across laboratories to replicate findings, perform cross-study analyses, and develop robust new analysis tools.

PROJECT SUMMARY Technology for recording from the brain is developing at a breakneck pace. But the digital integration of data acquired from different recording technologies is an impediment to the rapid adoption of these technologies across labs, and also makes analysis by interested 3rd parties, such as theorists, difficult. This lack of integration is a major barrier to scientific inquiry, as labs cannot easily analyze each other's data.

Project Summary/Abstract Brain function is produced by the coordinated activity of multiple neuronal types that are widely distributed across many brain regions. Neuronal signals are acquired using extra- and intracellular recordings, and increasingly optical imaging, during sensory, motor, and cognitive tasks. Neurophysiology research generates large, complex, heterogeneous datasets at terabyte scale. The data size and complexity is expected to continue to grow with the increasing sophistication of experimental apparatus.

Project​ ​Summary/Abstract The

Project Abstract Due to recent technological advances, it is possible to image the high-resolution structure of brain volumes at spatial extents that are much larger than was previously possible. Emerging X-ray microtomography (XRM) methods allow for the collection of whole mouse brains in a high-throughput paradigm, permitting the generation of sub-micron three-dimensional image volumes in less than a day without the alignment challenges or tissue clearing approaches of other methods.

ABSTRACT The overarching goal of this project is to secure, link, and disseminate BRAIN Initiative data, including electrophysiology, imaging, behavioral, and clinical data with all pertinent recording and imaging parameters, coming from participating sites.

PROJECT SUMMARY The wealth, depth and quality of multi-omic data generated through funding from the BRAIN initiative is unprecedented. It ranges from bulk and single cell RNA-seq, to detailed cell type- specific epigenetic analyses throughout development.