Interesting seminar Friday noon:

--- Guillaume Lajoie, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Dept. of Maths & Stats | U. de Montréal dms.umontreal.ca/~lajoie/

****** SEMINAR DETAILS ****** Where/when : - Friday March 16, 12:00 - Salle 1120, Pavillon Paul-G.-Desmarais Université de Montréal 2960, chemin de la tour

Title: Theory of artificially driven cortical circuits: connectivity, function and dimension of neural dynamics stimulated by implants

Abstract: Recent developments in Bidirectional Brain­Computer Interfaces (BBCI) not only allow the reading out of neural activity from cortical neurons, but also the delivery of electrical signals. These can drive neural dynamics and shape both connectivity and function by influencing synaptic plasticity, thus opening the possibility of engineering novel neural circuits, with important applications for clinical treatments of spinal cord injuries and stroke. However, synaptic and functional changes in recurrent networks of neurons are hard to predict and understand: they involve complex dynamic mechanisms on multiple temporal and spatial scales. Based on experiments, I develop theoretical tools and computational network models that serve as predictive tools for BBCI protocols. In this talk, I will first discuss a computational model for a chronically implanted BBCI in non­human primate motor cortex that artificially induces plastic changes. We show how the efficacy of BBCIs is influenced by cortical activity statistics and we propose state­based stimulation strategies for driving targeted synaptic plasticity. Second, I will discuss recent findings that uncover the neural effects of a hotly debated form of non­invasive transcranial electric stimulation called tDCS (transcranial direct current stimulation) and its influence on population coding in cortex.