Login  |   Register   |   Submit Article   |   Contact Us   |   My Frontiers   |   Home

Original Research Article
A novel multiple objective optimization framework for constraining conductance-based neuron models by experimental data

1  Interdisciplinary Center for Neural Computation and Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
2  Institute of Life Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
3  Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland


We present a novel framework for automatically constraining parameters of compartmental models of neurons, given a large set of experimentally measured responses of these neurons. In experiments, intrinsic noise gives rise to a large variability (e.g., in firing pattern) in the voltage responses to repetitions of the exact same input. Thus, the common approach of fitting models by attempting to perfectly replicate, point by point, a single chosen trace out of the spectrum of variable responses does not seem to do justice to the data. In addition, finding a single error function that faithfully characterizes the distance between two spiking traces is not a trivial pursuit. To address these issues, one can adopt a multiple objective optimization approach that allows the use of several error functions jointly.When more than one error function is available, the comparison between experimental voltage traces and model response can be performed on the basis of individual features of interest (e.g., spike rate, spike width). Each feature can be compared between model and experimental mean, in units of its experimental variability, thereby incorporating into the fitting this variability. We demonstrate the success of this approach, when used in conjunction with genetic algorithm optimization, in generating an excellent fit between model behavior and the firing pattern of two distinct electrical classes of cortical interneurons, accommodating and fast-spiking. We argue that the multiple, diverse models generated by this method could serve as the building blocks for the realistic simulation of large neuronal networks.

Keywords: compartmental model, multi-objective optimization, noisy neurons, firing pattern, cortical interneurons

Citation: Druckmann S, Banitt Y, Gidon AA, Schürmann F, Markram H and Segev I (2007) A novel multiple objective optimization framework for constraining conductance-based neuron models by experimental data. Front. Neurosci. 1,1:7-18. doi:10.3389/neuro.01.1.1.001.2007

Received: 15 August 2007; paper pending published: 01 September 2007; accepted: 01 September 2007; published online: 15 October 2007.

Edited by: 
Alex M. Thomson, University of London, UK

Reviewed by: 
Eve Marder, Brandeis University, USA
Astrid A. Prinz, Emory University, USA

Copyright: © 2007 Druckmann, Banitt, Gidon, Schürmann, Markram and Segev. This is an open-access article subject to an exclusive license agreement between the authors and the Frontiers Research Foundation, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original authors and source are credited.

*Correspondence: Shaul Druckmann, Interdisciplinary Center for Neural Computation and Department of Neurobiology, Institute of Life Sciences, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel. e-mail: drucks@lobster.ls.huji.ac.il
Viewing Options
    Abstract
    Full Text
    PDF
Other articles by authors
     On PubMed

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Article Analytics

Average Rating: 7/10  (1 votes)
Login to rate this title