Computational neuroscience connects biological observations with models of neurons, circuits and behavior. Researchers use simulations and data analysis to test explanations of how nervous systems represent and transform information.
Detailed maps of biological connections can inform these models by showing which cells or regions are linked. Structural evidence is valuable, but connectivity alone does not fully explain the dynamics or function of a living nervous system.
ELI5
Computational neuroscience uses computers and mathematics to understand how brains and nervous systems work. It turns biological measurements into models that researchers can test.
For example, scientists can map connections in a fruit-fly brain and simulate how signals might travel through part of that network during a behavior.
What does computational neuroscience model?
It can model individual neurons, networks, sensory processing, learning, decisions, movement and other nervous-system functions.
Does a connectome completely explain a brain?
No. A connection map provides structure, but function also depends on activity, chemistry, timing, learning and interaction with the environment.
