The Scientific Case for Brain Simulations

2019/05/01 by Gaute T. Einevoll, Alain Destexhe, Markus Diesmann +8
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Neuroscience · Psychology · #Cognitive science #Computer science #EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces #Functional Brain Connectivity Studies #Neural dynamics and brain function #Neuroscience #Psychology #q-bio.NC

paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2019.03.027

published as Einevoll et al. (2019) The Scientific Case for Brain Simulations. Neuron 102:735-744

openalex publication_date 2019/05/01 · arxiv created 2019/06/14 · arxiv updated 2019/06/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

A key element of the European Union's Human Brain Project (HBP) and other large-scale brain research projects is simulation of large-scale model networks of neurons. Here we argue why such simulations will likely be indispensable for bridging the scales between the neuron and system levels in the brain, and a set of brain simulators based on neuron models at different levels of biological detail should thus be developed. To allow for systematic refinement of candidate network models by comparison with experiments, the simulations should be multimodal in the sense that they should not only predict action potentials, but also electric, magnetic, and optical signals measured at the population and system levels.

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