Interoperable model components for biologically realistic single neuron and network models implemented in NeuroML
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1
University College London, United Kingdom
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2
Arizona State University, United States
There is now a wealth of detailed experimental data on the subcellular mechanisms underlying neuronal firing behaviour. Understanding how these low level processes interact to produce spiking patterns under different input stimuli has been aided immensely by detailed computational simulations incorporating realistic morphological reconstructions, voltage and ligand gated membrane conductances and internal calcium dynamics. These complex models, which can take many months or years to create, provide a valuable resource both to theoretical investigators and experimentalists investigating brain function.
While the diversity of simulation environments and languages used for implementing these types of models has a number of advantages, including the ability to cross validate models on independently developed platforms, the process of reimplementing published scripts for a model in a different format is not a trivial one. Also, reproducing a model simply from the published data in the paper is rarely straightforward. These factors make widespread reuse of model components difficult and prevent access to many experimentalists.
The NeuroML project (http://www.neuroml.org) seeks to address these problems by producing standards for describing the elements of neuronal models in a simulator independent format. The standards concentrate on defining the key elements of models. Detailed neuronal morphologies, voltage and ligand gated ion channels, and network structure can be described in NeuroML, and mappings of these have been developed to a number of simulator specific formats.
We will present a number of published cell and network models that have been specified in this format, enabling simulations on NEURON and GENESIS to be compared directly. These models include cell and network models for the cerebellum (granule cell layer, Purkinje cell), hippocampus (CA1 cell) and neocortex (cortical and thalamic cells from Traub et al 2005). A graphical application, neuroConstruct (www.neuroConstruct.org) facilitates the visualisation of these models and generation of simulation code of the supported environments. We will demonstrate how these technologies combine to allow rapid generation and analysis of complex network simulations with a minimum of scripting, while retaining modularity and portability of model elements.
NeuroML is an ongoing international initiative. We will outline the latest efforts to increase simulator support (e.g. MOOSE, the Multiscale Object-Oriented Simulation Environment) and import and export of NeuroML format in other neuroinformatics applications (e.g. Neuromantic, for neuronal reconstruction).
Supported by the MRC, EU and Wellcome Trust.
Conference:
Neuroinformatics 2008, Stockholm, Sweden, 7 Sep - 9 Sep, 2008.
Presentation Type:
Oral Presentation
Topic:
Live Demonstrations
Citation:
Gleeson
P,
Crook
S,
Barnes
S and
Silver
A
(2008). Interoperable model components for biologically realistic single neuron and network models implemented in NeuroML.
Front. Neuroinform.
Conference Abstract:
Neuroinformatics 2008.
doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.11.2008.01.135
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Received:
28 Jul 2008;
Published Online:
28 Jul 2008.
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Correspondence:
Padraig Gleeson, University College London, London, United Kingdom, nemoABS01@frontiersin.org