SIMULATION IN NEUROBIOLOGY - THEORY OR EXPERIMENT

Investigation in neurophysiology usually involves measurements of larg e population-average signals or small sample recordings. There is an u nderlying assumption that the observations express activity of large g roups of similarly acting neurons that is the result of a bottom-up sc enario in which individual cells, via their synaptic interactions, lea d to the large scale phenomena. The connection between the levels must be provided by theory, which must also provide the relevant variables for observation. It is suggested that between the experiment and the full theory there is a creative, mixed role for simulation: both exper imental and theoretical. A simulation presents complex dynamics and he nce is an empirical board for testing theoretical tools, yet its contr olled behaviour can make predictions about the biological system.